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Dozens of CA events this weekend honor Latino Conservation Week; Kamala Harris joins Oprah Winfrey in emotional campaign event; Report finds poor working conditions in Texas clean energy industry; AI puts on a lab coat, heads to technical schools.

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Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

New Arkansas Anti-Abortion Law to Face Legal Challenge

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Monday, February 6, 2017   

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Women's health advocates and legal experts say they don't expect a new Arkansas law blocking a certain type of abortion procedure to survive challenges in court.

The new law bans a standard medical procedure used in rare, second-trimester abortions, and also allows a woman's family members to go to court to block it. Identical measures have already been found unconstitutional by courts in other states.

Bonyen Lee-Gilmore, communications director at Planned Parenthood Great Plains, called the effort by conservatives in the Arkansas Legislature a cynical attempt to rally their base.

"This particular method ban has fallen in every state that it's been passed in,” Lee-Gilmore said. "These types of laws, particularly this method ban, is written by the National Right to Life group and then they kind of disseminate it down to the state level."

In states where it has passed, the law criminalizes a procedure known as dilation and evacuation, even in cases of incest or rape. The bill's sponsor, Andy Mayberry, a GOP representative from Pulaski County, called the procedure barbaric.

Rita Sklar, executive director at the ACLU of Arkansas, said her group will likely pursue legal action to block the measure. She said it is "offensive" that elected officials would pass a law they already know is unconstitutional.

"For the women, it is not a game - it is very serious,” Sklar said. "Legislators shouldn't be throwing stuff out to see whether it sticks when we're talking about women's health. They shouldn't be doing anything except doing the best they can to protect women's health."

Sklar called the law a major overreach into the doctor-patient relationship. She said bills with almost the exact same wording have been overturned by courts in Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma and are currently being challenged in Mississippi and West Virginia.


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