Abortion rights Protesters Rally in Little Rock
Protesters target organizers for abortion ballot measure in Arkansas
They want us to be scared.
arkansasadvocate.com/...
Photo and article from last month but it’s really good background for today’s story.
Here’s a video of the rally.
Pro-choice supporters fight for Arkansas Abortion Amendment despite throw away
www.thv11.com/…
News coverage and video reporting from THV11, CBS affiliate in Little Rock, Arkansas.
This is not really great coverage. The reporter actually says he said, she said which in my mind shows he was too lazy to research his story. They close with footage of a protester acting as if she’s resigned to doing it again. I’m sure that was not the overwhelming attitude of the protestors present. They were chanting Count the signatures! Remember, you heard it here first.
And I’m not sure why recent revelations from the Secretary Of States office were not included. They were reported in the comments of yesterday’s diary. And they are killing!
Whiplash: Why the Arkansas Abortion Amendment still might be in play
arktimes.com/…
“Until late Thursday afternoon, the secretary of state’s office implied there was no list of paid canvassers at all. The office’s spokesman, Chris Powell, repeatedly stated that just two documents were the only materials submitted by Arkansans for Limited Government on July 5. But no list. “Nothing additional was submitted,” he said.
Eventually, however, Powell said he had been mistaken. There was a list after all!”
There is a lot more detail at the article. Including this.
“Did Thurston violate state law when he stopped the count? Could the abortion petitioners save their effort with a cure period? … there are explicitly listed reasons for nixing signatures before the count. But the problems Thurston cited in §7-9-111 are not among those reasons.”
Thanks to ProfAlan for reporting on this in yesterdays comments. He included another great quote from the article. I think at this point we can put to bed the lies told about Arkansans For Limited Government not making a proper submission.
What? Montana too!
Also from yesterday’s comments MTpika reported.
“The R’s are pulling the same shit in Montana. After 117k signatures were collected to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot that protects reproductive rights (only 60k were needed to qualify), and AFTER signatures had already been submitted to the county election clerks for verification, the MAGA Sect’y of State changed the rules in order to disqualify any signatures from registered but inactive voters, AND changed the software to automatically discount these signatures. dailymontanan.com/…
County clerks from all over the state are shaking their heads because this is a clear (likely illegal) change in how petition signatures have qualified in the past.
The reproductive rights group is suing to stop this, but obviously the R’s are using the same basic playbook as in AR: throw every possible monkey wrench into the works so that resolution is delayed beyond the deadline for ballot printing.
In MT’s case, I’m sure the R’s are doubly determined to keep the abortion initiative off the ballot because it would likely give a boost to Jon Tester and possibly other Dems.”
Link through for the full article.
This is very important. I have been saying all along that this is a national issue. Since there are two states playing from the same book it is definitely no longer an Arkansas issue. It’s a Republican issue.
Republican’s are engaged in voter nullification everywhere, not just on this issue and not just on constitutional amendments. But very specifically, if you want to exercise your right to change the state constitution according to the laws of your state the Republicans will try to stop you. If you want abortion rights in your state Republicans will try to stop you. I guarantee it!
There’s a reason why Republicans are doing this. If the amendments are put on the ballot they will pass. Republicans know this and they are desperately lying and scratching, trying to nullify the voter’s rights.
Only we can stop this.
Action
The best way is to draw attention to the situation. Share on social media, send emails, call your congressperson. Contact national abortion rights groups and groups like the ACLU and the NAACP.
There is no doubt that refusing to count the signatures is racist. Just like the abortion bans are racist.
Also contact
Arkansans For Limited Government
arliberty.org
And donate
Donation page here, arliberty.org/… Merch page here, shop.arliberty.org
Donate to the Montana effort.
mtreprorights.org
Please add more action links and strategies in the comments.
Rec this diary for exposure. I’m following this story daily and I can’t wait to report that the Secretary Of States office folds and they are counting the signatures.
If you live in Arkansas and you haven’t signed the petition please do it now. According to state law petitioners have 30 days after submission to continue collecting signatures in case they are needed.
If this is also true in Montana please post the info in the comments.
Thanks