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Which states could have abortion on the ballot in 2024? Arkansas organizers hope to join the list. – The Boston Globe

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Which states could have abortion on the ballot in 2024? Arkansas organizers hope to join the list. – The Boston Globe


The fate of the measures could reshape or confirm the trendlines that have developed in the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court removed the nationwide right to abortion.

Since the ruling, most Republican-controlled states have new abortion restrictions in effect, including 14 that ban it at every stage of pregnancy. Most Democratic-led states have laws or executive orders to protect access.

Voters in all seven states that have had abortion questions before voters since 2022 have sided with abortion rights supporters, including California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Vermont.

Here’s a look at the abortion measures that could be on ballots in November:

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What is on the 2024 ballots?

COLORADO

Colorado’s top election official confirmed in May that a measure to enshrine abortion protections in the state constitution, including requirements that Medicaid and private health insurers cover it, made the ballot for the fall election.

Supporters said they gathered more than 225,000 signatures, nearly double the requirement of over 124,000 signatures. Amending the state constitution requires the support of 55% of voters.

Those backing a dueling measure — a law to ban abortion — did not submit signatures and the measure will not go before voters.

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Abortion is legal at all stages of pregnancy in Colorado.

FLORIDA

The state Supreme Court ruled in April that a ballot measure to legalize abortion until fetal viability could go on the ballot despite a legal challenge from state Attorney General Ashley Moody, who argued there are differing views on the meaning of “viability” and that some key terms in the proposed measure are not properly defined.

Advocates collected nearly a million signatures to put a state constitutional amendment to legalize abortion until viability on the ballot, surpassing the nearly 892,000 required.

To take effect, the measure would need agreement from at least 60% of voters.

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Abortion is currently illegal in Florida after the first six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant, under a law that took effect May 1.

MARYLAND

Voters also will be asked this year to enshrine the right to abortion in Maryland’s constitution. The state already protects the right to abortion under state law and Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1. Abortion is allowed in Maryland until viability.

NEVADA

The Nevada Secretary of State ‘s office announced in June that a ballot question to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution has met all of the requirements to appear in front of voters in November.

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Under the amendment, abortion access for the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, or later to protect the health of the pregnant person, would be enshrined. Such access already is ensured under a 1990 law.

To change the constitution, voters would need to approve it in both 2024 and 2026.

SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota voters will vote this fall on a measure to ban any restrictions on abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. It would allow the state, in the second trimester, to “regulate the pregnant woman’s abortion decision and its effectuation only in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman.”

An abortion ban would be allowed in the third trimester, as long as it included exceptions for the life and health of the woman.

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The state’s top election official announced May 16 that about 85% of the more than 55,000 signatures submitted in support of the ballot initiative are valid, exceeding the required 35,017 signatures.

Opponents have sued to try to take the initiative off the ballot.

Where else could abortion be on the ballot in 2024?

ARIZONA

Abortion rights supporters submitted more than 823,000 signatures on Wednesday to put an abortion access measure before voters in November. That’s more than twice as many as required.

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Election officials still need to verify the signatures.

Under the measure, the state would not be able to ban abortion until the fetus is viable, with later abortions allowed to protect a woman’s physical or mental health.

Abortion is currently legal for the first 15 weeks of pregnancy in the state. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in April that enforcement could begin soon for a near-total ban already on the books. The governor has since signed a bill repealing that law. It is still expected to be in effect for a time, however.

ARKANSAS

Proponents of an amendment to allow abortion in many cases must gather nearly 91,000 signatures by Friday for the measure to get on the Nov. 5 ballot. They also must submit a minimum number of signatures from 50 of 75 counties.

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Supporters said on Wednesday they were about 5,800 short of the requirement with two days left to circulate petitions.

The measure would bar laws banning abortion in the first 20 weeks of gestation and allow abortion later in pregnancy in cases of rape, incest, threats to the woman’s health or life, or if the fetus would be unlikely to survive birth.

Because it allows abortion to be banned 20 weeks into pregnancy, the proposal does not have the support of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which includes Arkansas. The state currently bans abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with narrow exceptions.

Anti-abortion groups in the predominantly Republican state also have campaigned heavily against the measure, and one group published the names and hometowns of canvassers gathering signatures for the proposal.

MISSOURI

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Missouri abortion rights advocates turned in more than 380,000 signatures, more than twice the required 171,000, for a measure asking voters to approve a constitutional amendment to guarantee abortion until viability. Local election officials have until July 30 to verify the signatures, then it’s up to the secretary of state to declare whether there were enough.

A group of moderate Republicans have for this year abandoned efforts for an alternate amendment that would have allowed abortion up to 12 weeks, with limited exceptions after that time.

Abortion is currently banned in Missouri at all stages of pregnancy, with limited exceptions.

MONTANA

Abortion rights proponents in Montana have proposed a constitutional amendment that would bar the government from denying the right to abortion before viability or when it’s necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant person.

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After a legal battle over the ballot language, the Montana Supreme Court in April wrote its version of the language that would appear on the ballot if enough valid signatures are certified. Sponsors were required to submit about 60,000 by June 21. They turned in about 117,000, nearly twice the amount needed.

Counties have until July 19 to verify the signatures and the secretary of state would have until Aug. 22 to determine whether the amendment goes on the ballot.

Abortion is legal until viability in Montana under a 1999 Montana Supreme Court opinion.

NEBRASKA

Competing abortion measures could come before voters in November after supporters of each said Wednesday they turned in far more signatures than the 123,000 required for ballot access.

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One would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution until viability. Supporters said they submitted more than 207,000 signatures.

The other would write into the constitution the current law which bars abortions after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions. Its backers said they submitted more than 205,000 signatures.

Organizers for a third effort did not submit petitions. It would have defined embryos as people, thus barring abortion at all stages of pregnancy.

Where did ballot efforts fail to gain traction?

Some efforts that sought to restrict or ban abortion also have failed to reach ballots. In Wisconsin, the House approved a measure asking voters to ban abortion after 14 weeks, but the legislative session ended without a vote from the state Senate.

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Likewise, Iowa lawmakers ended their session without approving a measure asking voters to find there is no constitutional right to abortion. Pennsylvania lawmakers previously pursued a similar amendment, but it’s not expected to be added to the ballot this year.

A Louisiana measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution died in committee, one in Maine effectively died when it fell short of receiving the approval of two-thirds of the House and a Minnesota measure was not passed by lawmakers.





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Arkansas

Arkansas Storm Team Weather Blog: Beryl to bring tornado threat

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Arkansas Storm Team Weather Blog: Beryl to bring tornado threat


Arkansas is directly in the path of Beryl. The National Hurricane Center is forecasting Beryl to make landfall south of Houston Texas as a category 1 hurricane then turn to the northeast and move over Arkansas.

By the time Beryl moves over the Natural State, it will be much weaker. It will no longer be a hurricane or even a tropical storm, it will weaken into a tropical depression. That means the winds will be 30 mph with gusts as high as 40 mph.

The much weaker Beryl will still bring substantial impacts to Arkansas. The main threat we are watching is severe weather, more specifically tornadoes. It’s common for the remnants of a tropical system to spawn short-lived tornadoes.

The Storm Prediction Center has parts of Arkansas under a level 2 low risk for severe weather Monday afternoon into Tuesday morning. They have much of the state under a level 1 very low risk.

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In the risk area, the main threat is tornadoes. The last time a tropical system moved over Arkansas it spawned 8 tornadoes.

In 2020 Hurricane Laura moved over Arkansas as a tropical storm and caused the largest August tornado outbreak in Arkansas history. Beryl won’t be nearly as strong as Laura, but we still need to be weather-aware Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning.

The other impact that we could see is flooding. I don’t think flooding will be a widespread problem, but with 3-6″ of rainfall expected in the western half of the state, flood-prone areas could be at risk.

The National Weather Service has issued flood watches for much of Texas and southwest Arkansas.

Thank you for trusting the Arkansas Storm Team for your weather information!

Download the Arkansas Storm Team app 

To make sure you are staying up-to-date with the forecast, download the Arkansas Storm Team app to get updates anywhere at any time. 

To watch the latest video updates from the Arkansas Storm Team, you can check them out here.

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The Arkansas Storm Team is a collaboration of two stations to bring you the largest weather team in the state when covering Arkansas weather.



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Arkansas

Arkies in the Beltway | Week of June 30, 2024 | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

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Arkies in the Beltway | Week of June 30, 2024 | Arkansas Democrat Gazette


This is “Arkies in the Beltway” for the week of July 7, 2024. I’m Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and in a change of pace, we are not spending time this week focusing on national politics and the Arkansans influencing those discussions.

Rather, we’re taking a break from our usual coverage to discuss this year’s Congressional Art Competition.

[Podcast player not showing up? Click here.]

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Since 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated in the nationwide contest, submitting portraits, illustrations, photographs and other media in hopes of representing their state in a rotating exhibit located below the U.S. Capitol.

Winners from each U.S. House of Representatives district are recognized in the year-long display.

The Democrat-Gazette spoke with the four Arkansas teenagers represented in this year’s exhibit and discussed the inspiration behind their submissions.

STORY: Young Arkansas artists honored in annual art competition exhibit

Thank you for supporting “Arkies in the Beltway!” Make sure to stay up to date with all news involving Arkansas at arkansasonline.com. You can also follow what’s happening in the nation’s capital by checking me out on social media; my handle across all platforms is @AlexHouseThomas.

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Football, volleyball athletes compete in All-Star games | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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Football, volleyball athletes compete in All-Star games | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette


Pictured are River Valley football all-stars (from left) Matt O’Bar (Booneville), Bryce Perkins (Van Buren), L.J. Robins (Greenwood), Reese Merechka (Charleston), M.J. Parker (Ozark), Braden Hunt (Ozark) and Charlie VanDenBerg (Ozark) at the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star football game at Estes Stadium on the campus of University of Central Arkansas in Conway on June 22. (Special to River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Leland Barclay)

Pictured are River Valley football all-stars (from left) Matt O’Bar (Booneville), Bryce Perkins (Van Buren), L.J. Robins (Greenwood), Reese Merechka (Charleston), M.J. Parker (Ozark), Braden Hunt (Ozark) and Charlie VanDenBerg (Ozark) at the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star football game at Estes Stadium on the campus of University of Central Arkansas in Conway on June 22. (Special to River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Leland Barclay)

Reese Merechka of Charleston (left) and M.J. Parker of Ozark line up defensively for the West All-Stars in the AHSCA all-star football game on June 22 at Estes Stadium in Conway. (Special to River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Leland Barclay)

Reese Merechka of Charleston (left) and M.J. Parker of Ozark line up defensively for the West All-Stars in the AHSCA all-star football game on June 22 at Estes Stadium in Conway. (Special to River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Leland Barclay)

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Van Buren’s Bryce Perkins receives his MVP ring from the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star football game on June 22 at Estes Stadium on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. (Special to River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Leland Barclay)

Van Buren’s Bryce Perkins receives his MVP ring from the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star football game on June 22 at Estes Stadium on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. (Special to River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Leland Barclay)

Van Buren’s Bryce Perkins drops back to pass during the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star football game on June 22 in Conway. (Special to River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Leland Barclay)

Van Buren’s Bryce Perkins drops back to pass during the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star football game on June 22 in Conway. (Special to River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Leland Barclay)

Hackett’s Aubree Ruggles (left) and Prairie Vaughn) poses for a photo after the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star volleyball game on June 21 in Conway. (Submitted photo/Bridget Freeman)

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Hackett’s Aubree Ruggles (left) and Prairie Vaughn) poses for a photo after the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star volleyball game on June 21 in Conway. (Submitted photo/Bridget Freeman)

Emerson Schaefer of Lavaca played for the West All-Stars in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star volleyball game on June 21 in Conway. (Submitted photo/Shannon Todaro)

Emerson Schaefer of Lavaca played for the West All-Stars in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star volleyball game on June 21 in Conway. (Submitted photo/Shannon Todaro)



Reese Merechka of Charleston (left) and M.J. Parker of Ozark line up defensively for the West All-Stars in the AHSCA all-star football game on June 22 at Estes Stadium in Conway.
(Special to River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Leland Barclay)



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photo


Van Buren’s Bryce Perkins receives his MVP ring from the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star football game on June 22 at Estes Stadium on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
(Special to River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Leland Barclay)



photo


Van Buren’s Bryce Perkins drops back to pass during the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star football game on June 22 in Conway.
(Special to River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Leland Barclay)



photo


Hackett’s Aubree Ruggles (left) and Prairie Vaughn) poses for a photo after the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star volleyball game on June 21 in Conway.
(Submitted photo/Bridget Freeman)



photo


Emerson Schaefer of Lavaca played for the West All-Stars in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association all-star volleyball game on June 21 in Conway.
(Submitted photo/Shannon Todaro)




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