Arkansas officials have targeted abortion access once again, this time by utilizing mental abuse as a tactic. Lawmakers in the state voted Thursday to require women seeking abortions to call a pro-life hotline prior to undergoing the procedure. The state’s Senate approved the measure in a 28-5 vote, passing one of several abortion restrictions that have been filed in the state to date, the Associated Press reported. The House-backed measure is now on its way to Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, whom lawmakers are confident will support the bill.
To enforce the “Every Mom Matters Act,”the state will set up a toll-free number with information on services available for those who do not wish to have an abortion. Essentially, this initiative forces women into possibly reconsidering the decisions they made for their bodies and creates an unnecessary obstacle in abortion access. “These continuing and demeaning attempts to shame people for their personal medical decisions and block them from care are backward motions that hurt Arkansans,” Holly Dickson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, said in a statement.