A committee of lawmakers backed a bill prohibiting a woman from obtaining an abortion solely based on the sex of the child.
Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, explained to a House committee that his bill, HB 1434, is based on a “simple, straightforward idea.” The bill would ban doctors from performing an abortion if they know the woman seeking the procedure wants it performed solely based on the sex of the fetus.
Collins told lawmakers he does not see the issue as widespread in the United States, but that other countries such as China have a real problem valuing men over women. He called the legislation “narrowly tailored” and not nearly as broad as similar laws adopted by several other states.
Ashley Wright, a representative from Planned Parenthood of the Great Plains, told the committee the bill intrudes on the doctor-patient relationship, turning doctors into “investigators” and patients into “suspects.”
Wright also said the bill does not address gender discrimination and could be especially harmful for Asian American and Pacific Islander women who already bear certain negative stereotypes about their culture and fetal sex-discrimination.
Rita Sklar, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, told the committee even though she is against the bill, she was pleased the law stated that women are a vital part of society and culture.
Sklar went on to say any laws that interfere with abortions that are given before the fetus is viable are unconstitutional, regardless of the reasoning. She also said four other states had injunctions placed on laws like this one, and passing Collins’ bill would likely provoke litigation.
After lawmakers listened to the public testimony, the committee passed the bill to the full House.