LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas state officials filed a briefing with the Supreme Court on Friday as justices prepare to look at a lawsuit over a proposed amendment to the state's abortion law.
This comes in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit, which was filed by Arkansans for Limited Government (AFLG) who initially filed a proposed abortion amendment. In the lawsuit, the group alleged that Secretary of State John Thurston "unlawfully" rejected their proposal for the upcoming November ballot.
AFLG continues to assert in the lawsuit that they followed state law, turned in required documents multiple times, and should have been allowed additional time to provided any other documents needed.
Now, the group alleges that the Secretary of State's office is not treating every petition equally. The group added to their case an email sent by the Secretary of State's Office to a group sponsoring a medical marijuana amendment.
The email said that the group failed to comply with submitting a list of paid canvassers, but will apply this during the cure period.
Arkansans For Limited Government said that these issues are the exact same, but the Secretary of State has not disqualified the other petition, so they should get a cure period as well.
In the briefing filed by state officials, they insist that the Supreme Court throw out the case, stating that the court doesn't have jurisdiction over the proposed ballot petition. Additionally, state officials claim that Secretary of State John Thurston followed proper protocol when dismissing the proposed abortion amendment last month.
In the time since, the state Supreme Court ruled the signatures gathered by supporters of an abortion amendment had to be tallied up by Secretary of State John Thurston.
That ruling came just two weeks ago, Secretary Thurston rejected the entire petition from AFLG, saying that the submission lacked a key piece of paperwork regarding paid canvassers.
Days after the Supreme Court ruled for the signatures to be tallied, it was reported that AFLG collected 87,675 signatures as the group awaits the Arkansas Supreme Court's ruling on paid canvasser signatures.
If the proposal makes it to the ballot it would allow voters to decide whether they want to expand abortion access up to 18 weeks as well as in instances of rape, incest, or fatal fetal anomaly.
You can read learn more about the lawsuit by clicking here.