Mary Rooke Commentary and Analysis Writer
Arkansas Secretary of State rejected far-left activists’ attempts to force an abortion initiative on the statewide November ballot because they failed to comply with state regulations.
Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston sent a rejection letter to Lauren Cowles, executive director of Arkansans for Limited Government, the group behind the abortion amendment. Thurston investigated the statewide initiative and found that the group broke the rules in obtaining the necessary number of signatures needed to add abortion to the November ballot.
Today the far left pro-abortion crowd in Arkansas showed they are both immoral and incompetent. https://t.co/zosqCnDq26
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) July 10, 2024
“I have determined that you failed to comply with Ark. Code Ann. $ 7-9-111(f)(2). That provision requires the sponsor to submit (1) a statement identifying the paid canvassers by name, and (2) a signed statement indicating that the sponsor has provided a copy of the most recent edition of the Secretary of State’s initiatives and referenda handbook and explained the requirements under Arkansas law for obtaining signatures on the petition to each paid canvasser before the paid canvasser solicited signatures,” Thurston wrote.
Still, even if the group had identified the paid canvassers by name, the Arkansas Secretary of State’s review also found that they did not reach the threshold for the number of signatures required to be included in November. (ROOKE: State Board Notches Election Integrity Win That Could Secure A Trump Victory)
“Even if your failure to comply with Ark. Code Ann. $ 7-9-111(f(2) did not require me to reject your submission outright, it would certainly mean that signatures gathered by paid canvassers in your submission could not be counted for any reason. You submitted an affidavit attesting that the total number of signatures submitted was 101,525,” Thurston continued. “As a courtesy to you, l instructed my office to determine the initial count of signatures gathered by paid canvassers in your putative submission. That number was 14,143. After removing those signatures, and assuming your attestation as valid, 87,382 volunteer signatures remain—3,322 signatures less than the required 90,704. Therefore, even if I could accept your submission, I would be forced to find that your petition is insufficient on its face for failure to obtain the required 90,704 signatures.”
Today is a great day for life in Arkansas. The Secretary of State’s office officially rejected the Arkansas Abortion Amendment, and it will not appear on the ballot in November. Life is the most basic God given human right and Arkansas will continue to protect the lives of our… pic.twitter.com/mdGexwFI3Y
— Senator Ben Gilmore (@lbengilmore) July 10, 2024
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and sent it back to the states to decide, the pro-life movement seemed wholly unprepared for the battle ahead. The left hit the ground running and quickly notched victories in red states like Kansas, with constitutional amendments making it onto the ballot and passing in 2022. (ROOKE: Top Real Estate Consultant Warns There’s A Housing Bubble About To Pop On American Soil)
For pro-life activists, this is a major win. However, it’s a win on a technicality. It exposes the reality that even after years of living in a post-Roe v. Wade world, the conservative movement still isn’t prepared to do the work needed to protect innocent lives. While several are (rightly) upset about the Republican party’s recent move away (or adjacent) to the pro-life movement, there is still no answer to these initiatives that will continue to make their way to ballots across the country. Just because these canvases failed to comply with state statutes this time does not mean they will stop their pursuit of making red states abortion safe havens.
It’s time for the movement to create a cohesive battle plan for life. Anything less than that is essentially admitting the movement is run by grifters profiting from the murder of innocent lives.