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 鈥渕ore than likely unconstitutional.鈥� The Arkansas and North Dakota laws are 鈥渃learly intended as direct challenges鈥� to Supreme Court rulings establishing the right to abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Danny Johnston/AP
