Four Arkansas women, including a physical therapist who suffered a miscarriage while being denied care, have filed a lawsuit challenging the state's near-total abortion ban. The suit, brought by Amplify Legal, argues that the ban violates the state constitution's guarantees of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Emily Waldorf, 40, experienced a miscarriage in 2024 but was told by hospital officials that because the fetus still had a heartbeat, they could not induce labour due to Arkansas's abortion restrictions. She had to wait, fearing a deadly infection. Her sister called Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders's office for help but was told to 'find a lawyer.' Waldorf was eventually transferred to a hospital in Kansas, where she gave birth to a baby who died shortly after.
The lawsuit also includes Chelsea Stovall, a mother of two who travelled to Illinois for an abortion after a fatal foetal anomaly was detected, and Theresa Van, who was denied an abortion after becoming pregnant through sexual assault. Arkansas does not permit abortions in cases of rape.
The suit claims the state's abortion bans are 'vague, confusing, and extremely dangerous,' forcing women to travel long distances for care. Since the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022, similar lawsuits have been filed across the US, arguing that medical exceptions in bans are unworkable.
Governor Sanders's office defended the state's pro-life laws, citing investments in foster care, adoption, and maternal health. The lawsuit seeks to strike down Arkansas's two virtually identical abortion bans, which the plaintiffs say threaten women's lives, fertility, and economic wellbeing.
