LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Senate has approved a measure banning most abortions 18 weeks into a woman's pregnancy, moving the state closer toward enacting one of the strictest prohibitions in the country.
The Senate on Monday approved by a 28-6 vote the House-backed measure, which was amended last week to add exemptions for rape and incest. The proposal faces one last vote in the House before heading to Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson's desk. A spokesman says Hutchinson supports the measure.
Arkansas already bans most abortions 20 weeks into a woman's pregnancy. The proposal would be country's strictest abortion ban if enacted, though bills banning abortions earlier are advancing in several other state legislatures.