Lisa: You're welcome.
Judy: With decisions on
abortion, potentially moving
into the hands of state
governments, none of us talks
with two leaders on opposite
sides of the debate about what
this means for their residence.
Amna: This decision would mean
states can determine who can get
an abortion, when, and under
what circumstances for the first
time in nearly 50 years.
Some states will effectively ban
abortions, while others are
-- just today, Oklahoma's
governor signed a bill that
banned abortions after six weeks
of pregnancy.
While others are working to
expand and codify access.
We'll get the perspective on
both sides.
First, I'm joined by Leslie
Rutledge.
Arkansas is one of 13 states
with a trigger lock which
wittily -- which would
immediately ban abortions.
Welcome to the newshour.
Thank you for making the time.
I want to begin by asking you
about access in your state.
It is heavily restricted in
Arkansas.
.
If roe is overturned, on that
day, who would be able to get
then a abortion in Arkansas?
>> Thank you so much for having
me on.
This is a historic moment and we
anxiously anticipate the final
decision by the U.S. Supreme
court.
In Arkansas, we are prepared to
save lives of unborn children.
We put a law in place in 2019
that we are essentially calling
a trigger lock, which will go
into effect in the event that
the court does in fact overturn
roe V. Wade in the Casey
decision.
The trigger law essentially says
in Arkansas, as the attorney
general for the state, I will
certify that that is what the
supreme court of the united
States has done, overturn roe V.
Wade and Casey, which would
allow us to have a total ban on
abortions in effect.
A total ban except to save the
life of a mother in a medical
emergency.
Amna: Only in case of life
endangerment, not in the cases
if a minor is raped and
impregnated, that person cannot
legally get an abortion,
correct?
>> Correct.
The total ban is for saving the
life of the mother in a medical
emergency we are.
-- We were prepared in 2019 when
we passed this law in the event
that the court did, like so many
Americans, we are hopeful and
prayerful.
Many of us fought for the last
-- thought for the last 50 years
we would never see this day.
Amna: I know your time is
limited, we have seen medication
abortions increasing.
How would your state view that?
Could win have medication
abortion -- medications for
abortion mailed to them?
>> No.
The total ban would apply to any
and all forms of abortion,
except for those to save the
life of a mother in a medical
emergency.
Other states are looking to us,
there are 12 other states across
the country who have also had a
trigger law in place.
We want to be prepared on day
one to begin saving lives of
unborn, innocent children.
Amna: Let me ask you about what
resulted in experts say unwanted
pregnancies.
What about those kids?
Kids in Arkansas, one in five,
live in poverty.
The foster care system is
already overwhelmed after the
last two years.
.
What is the state plan for those
kids?
>> We are going to love those
kids and we will give them great
educational opportunities.
Amna: But how will you care for
them?
>> I had a woman earlier who
thanked me for my stand on the
supreme court issue.
She said she and her husband
were able to adopt four children
many years ago whose parents did
not want them.
And had abortion been available,
those children would not have
been living and thriving.
We are going to take care of the
children in the state of
Arkansas.
Amna: If I may, from a resources
standpoint, your system is
overwhelmed.
You had a 14% increase in the
last two years of kids in the
foster care system.
Not enough families to take them
in.
Is there a plan in place?
>> Certainly there is.
That is why I am serving as the
attorney general and running to
be the next lieutenant governor
of Arkansas and supporting my
dear friend, Sarah Huckabee
Sanders, is the next governor.
We will have the resources
necessary to take care of our
kids and give them the education
they need, to make sure that we
take care of those in foster
care.
I have worked in the foster care
system.
What those children need our
love.
What they don't need is someone
putting a price tag on their
life.
What is their life worth to
them?
Absolutely everything.
What is it worth to god?
Absolutely everything.
God intended for that life to
begin at consumption --
conception.
Put on that child's head from
some liberal who says it costs
too much.
Amna: You made it clear that you
believe roe was wrongly decided.
What about other cases?
We heard president Biden express
this concern.
What about other cases similarly
decided on this constitutional
right to privacy?
Same-sex marriage, for example.
You disagree with that decision
as well.
Would you move to outlaw
same-sex marriage?
>> Our focus right now is on the
decision and whether or not it
does overturn roe V. Wade.
When the failed decision came
down and I was the sitting
attorney general, I immediately
set -- and sent out a memo
explaining this was not the law
of the land in the United States
to ensure state agencies and
those conducting marriage
ceremonies adhere to the law.
I think that is important for
arkansans and Americans to
understand.
We must respect and uphold the
law and defend the law.
What the supreme court did or
rather, what we are hoping the
supreme court has done in this
decision is to adhere to the
constitution of the united
States and return this power
back to the states where it
belongs, and to allow states to
have the public policy
discussions and make those
decisions among the respective
states rather than having those
policy decisions made at the
U.S. Supreme court.
Amna: You don't believe if the
court were to overturn roe, that
would undermine the right to
privacy basis for other
decisions like same-sex
marriage?
>> I think those are
conversations that will be had
at a later date.
I'm not going to allow those who
want to undermine the impact of
this decision to say -- to use
scare tactics to say, those who
disagree with all of these other
decisions will simply use it as
an avenue to undo the decision
or other decisions.
What we must focus on is saving
the lives of innocent children,
millions of which we have lost
over the last 50 years, from
January 22, 1973, that the
supreme court has got it wrong.
Which child -- which innocent
life was lost that perhaps have
the cure for cancer?
Which child was lost but have
the cure for Alzheimer's?
Which child was lost that could
have stopped some domestic
violence case?
We will never know because the
supreme court got it wrong 50
years ago.
Amna: One last question.
What about what other states are
doing?
I understand how your state is
preparing if this were to be
overturned.
Other states have worked to
codify and welcome people who
are seeking abortion care
services into their states.
Would you go after Arkansas
residents who go to other states
to get those same kind of
abortion services?
>> We will have to look at
whether or not those states
allow those practices.
I'm appalled when I seen of Ada
and New York and there not --
their attorneys general saying,
abortions are going to be on
demand and our state.
We are ready to take care of a
pregnant person.
As the mother of a
three-year-old, there is no such
thing as a pregnant person.
Only women get pregnant.
I am appalled that they are
advertising that they are going
to be alive and well.
But that is a public policy
discussion to be had in those
states.
That is what this decision is
about, whether or not we will
adhere to the constitution and
put the power back to the
respective states.
Amna: That is the attorney
general for the state of