Arkansas Pro-Life Advocates Hope to Oust Two Pro-Abortion Lawmakers

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 28, 2004   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Arkansas Pro-Life Advocates Hope to Oust Two Pro-Abortion Lawmakers Email this article
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by Paul Nowak
LifeNews.com Staff Writer
September 28, 2004

LifeNews.com Note: This is the fifth in a series of articles covering the 2004 elections state by state from the pro-life viewpoint.

Little Rock, AR (LifeNews.com) — The pro-life community in Arkansas is hoping to oust two pro-abortion lawmakers from the U.S. House and Senate this year. That’s their top goal in addition to making sure the Natural State winds up in the column of President George W. Bush.

The Arkansas Right to Life PAC has endorsed long-shot Senate candidate Jim Holt in his campaign challenging pro-abortion incumbent Senator Blanche Lincoln (D), and Marvin Parks in his race against Vic Snyder (D), who currently represents Arkansas’ 2nd district in the House of Representatives.

"We would love to see Parks unseat Snyder," Rose Mimms, Executive Director of Arkansas Right to Life told LifeNews.com. "Parks is a very strong pro-life legislator that we have worked with numerous times in Arkansas. He was the lead sponsor of our successful Choose Life license plate effort in 2003."

Parks has pointed out that Snyder consistently opposed any ban on partial-birth abortions despite telling the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that "all late term abortions should be banned, unless necessary to preserve the life or long-term physical health of the mother."

Parks has also pledged to support the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, HR 4420, which would give women seeking abortions in their 20th week of pregnancy or later information on how their child can experience pain.

"One of my top priorities as a Congressman will be to make sure this bill becomes law," Parks said. "Women deserve the right to have this information provided to them."

In the Senate, Lincoln has voted pro-life on some issues, but has remained steadfast in her support of abortion.

"While Lincoln opposes partial-birth abortion she is not a friend of life," commented Mimms.

Meanwhile, in the presidential race, Bush bested Al Gore 51 to 46 percent in 2000. Arkansas pro-lifers hope to replicate that success and the president is ahead by a 51 to 44 percent margin over pro-abortion Democratic Senator John Kerry, according to a recent Rsmussen poll.

Other Congressional races include two pro-life candidates in District 1, Rep. Marion Berry (D) and challenger Vernon Humphrey, and in District 3 pro-life Rep. John Boozman (R) is defending his seat from pro-abortion challenger Jan Judy. Rep. Mike Ross (D), who has a mixed voting record on the abortion issue, is running uncontested in District 4.

Related Sites:

Arkansas Right to Life Voting Guide –
https://www.artl.org/voters_guide_2004_p1.html

WeVoteProLife Voting Guide – https://www.wevoteprolife.com/arkansas.htm