McDaniel Rejects First Draft Of Personhood Amendment
by January 3, 2012 11:23 pm 83 views
Attorney General Dustin McDaniel (D) rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would define “personhood” in Arkansas.
The measure is similar to a controversial measure aimed at protecting unborn children that failed on the Mississippi ballot.
The Arkansas proposal, brought forward by Personhood Arkansas, is seeking an amendment that would ban abortion except when the mother’s life is in danger. The proposed amendment also offered language that would not restrict birth control or in-vitro fertilization — tripping points for the Mississippi measure.
In rejecting the proposal, McDaniel said that there were ambiguities in the text of the measure and that it was “misleading” with regard to federal law.
In a 20-page response, McDaniel noted conflicts in the language’s wording and constitutional issues with provisions in the proposed law.
In late 2011, the leader of Arkansas Right to Life, Rose Mimms, said her organization would not be a part of the campaign for the constitutional amendment.