On March 6, 2013, the Arkansas House of Representatives voted to override the veto of Gov. Mike Beebe (D), paving the way for a ban on abortion after 12 weeks of gestation. On May 20, a federal judge temporarily blocked enactment of the law, known as the Arkansas Human Heartbeat Protection Act, saying it was “more than likely unconstitutional.” The Arkansas and North Dakota laws are “clearly intended as direct challenges” to Supreme Court rulings establishing the right to abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Danny Johnston/AP
