Arkansas Goddam

Remember all the celebrations surrounding the June 29 "win" at the Supreme Court regarding the June Medical Services v. Russo matter?

Well, here is one of the reasons we don't get too excited by these "wins" at the Supreme Court. We know they aren't really "wins".

On August 7, the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals overturned a Little Rock judge’s ruling against four state anti-abortion laws and sent it back for further hearings.

This is based on the June v. Russo ruling. Per the Arkansas Times, "A 5-4 court affirmed a decision striking down the Louisiana law, but the majority was provided by Chief Justice John Roberts who said while precedent required that outcome, he disagreed with the reasoning and objected to courts weighing costs and benefits of anti-abortion laws. He said legislatures had broad discretion. He said courts could still decide such laws presented a “substantial burden” to women seeking abortions.

In the Arkansas appeal, in a brief unsigned decision, the 8th Circuit said Baker had applied a different standard, including a court weighing of benefits and costs, rather than the one enunciated by Roberts in his later ruling."

These four laws that go into effect August 28 won't make pregnant people safer, they actually make people less safe. But it's not about pregnant people's safety, it is about punishing patients and providers.

Otherwise, why would you ban the safest method of second-trimester abortion and try to substitute other methods that are less safe and medically accepted? Or require pregnant people to notify the other party, who could be an abuser or rapist, about the abortion, who could then act to block the abortion? These laws further patient safety how? They don't.

In any other realm, laws like this would never be acceptable. They do actual harm to the person in question. But abortion. This is abortion exceptionalism, and it needs to stop.

On the U.S. Supreme Court building, it is inscribed, "Equal Justice Under Law". Abortion exceptionalism undermines that principle for people every day.

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For more information: Court lifts ruling against 4 Arkansas abortion restrictions

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