Governor Mike Beebe today signed the “Pregnant Woman’s Protection Act” that gives mothers legal protections when they are forced to defend the lives of their unborn children. The bill, Arkansas Senate Bill 170, passed unanimously in the state senate and passed the state house without a single dissenting vote before it was sent to Gov. Beebe for his signature.
This innovative and cutting-edge legislation was drafted by Americans United for Life in direct response to the problem of pregnancy-related violence against women. Studies have shown that violence and abuse are often higher during pregnancy than during any other period in a womans lifetime. A pregnant woman is also more likely to be a victim of homicide than to die of any other cause.
The Arkansas bill is part of a growing legal trend across the country. In the last three years, Oklahoma and Missouri have also enacted the Pregnant Womans Protection Act, statutorily acknowledging a pregnant woman’s right to use force including deadly force to protect her unborn child.
Source: Americans United for Life