Arkansas Amendment 65, Prohibit Public Funds for Abortions and State Policy Initiative (1986)

Arkansas Amendment 65
Election date November 4, 1986
Topic Abortion
Status d Defeated
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin Citizens

Arkansas Amendment 65 was on the ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment in Arkansas on November 4, 1986. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported adding language to the Arkansas Constitution that stated it was Arkansas public policy to "promote the health, safety and welfare of every unborn child from conception until birth," and prohibiting state funds from being used for abortion, except to save the pregnant woman's life.

A "no" vote opposed adding language to the Arkansas Constitution that stated it was Arkansas public policy to "promote the health, safety and welfare of every unborn child from conception until birth," and prohibiting state funds from being used for abortion, except to save a pregnant woman's life.

Election results

Arkansas Amendment 65
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		318,007	49.96%
No		318,523	50.04%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Measure design

See also: Text of measure

The amendment would have added language to the Arkansas Constitution that stated it was the public policy of the state to "promote the health, safety and welfare of every unborn child from conception until birth." Additionally, it would have prohibited state funds from being used for abortions, except in cases that threatened the life of the pregnant woman.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Amendment 65 was as follows:

“

A proposed amendment to the Constitution of the state of Arkansas stating that the public policy of the state is to promote the health, safety and welfare of every unborn child from conception until birth, that the general assembly shall enforce this policy by such laws as may be permitted by the Constitution of the United States and that no public funds of the state shall be used directly or indirectly to pay for the expenses of performing or inducing an abortion, unless the abortion is for the purpose of saving the mother's life.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

Supporters

Organizations

• National Right to Life Committee
• Unborn Child Committee

Arguments

• Kevin McCray, coordinator of the Unborn Child Committee: "It will be a victory for the Christians of Arkansas, and the churches."

Opposition

Opponents

Organizations

• ACLU of Arkansas
• National Organization for Women

Arguments

• Sandra Kurjiaka, executive director of ACLU of Arkansas: "Amendment 65 does not have any exceptions for those women or teenage girls who are victims of rape or incest. They will be forced to remain pregnant with the rapists' children unless they can afford to pay a private doctor for an abortion."

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing ballot measures in Arkansas

Citizens in Arkansas have the power of initiative. This ballot measure was placed on the ballot through an initiative petition. In Arkansas, 10% of legal voters may propose a constitutional amendment by initiative petition.

See also

1986 Measures

• 1986 Measures
• Abortion policy on the ballot
• 1986 legislative sessions

Arkansas

• Arkansas ballot measures
• Arkansas ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls