Arkansas approves pro-life monument at Capitol

Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester gave final approval to a design for a pro-life "monument to the unborn" to be built at the Capitol.

Key Takeaways:

• In 2023, Arkansas legislators passed a law requiring a monument be built to honor the lives of the more than 230,000 babies killed by abortion in the state from 1973 to 2022.

• The law created a trust to raise funds for the construction of the monument.

• Construction will begin on the 'living wall' monument after funding is raised. It is expected to cost at least $229,000.

The Backstory:

According to NPR, Arkansas legislators passed a law in 2023 that required a pro-life monument to be built in honor of the preborn children who were killed in the state between 1973, when the Supreme Court forced legalized abortion on every state in its Roe v. Wade decision, and 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling. There were 236,243 preborn children killed by abortion in Arkansas over those 49 years. Immediately after the Dobbs decision was released, a law protecting most preborn children from abortion took effect in the state. The law, Act 310, created a trust fund to raise the money to fund the monument.

Submissions were open for individuals to submit designs, and a design from artist Lakey Goff was chosen. After some controversy involving costs, submissions were reopened and a "living wall" design featuring flora and fauna by Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Mary Bentley nearly identical to Goff's, but at a third of the cost, was approved.

The Details:

Hammer and Bentley hope to have the monument completed in 18 months, dependent on fundraising. The estimated cost is $229,000, and private individuals have donated $28,790 thus far, however, some requested refunds when the state did not go with Goff's design.

"This has to be paid for completely before construction can start," explained Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission Chair Stephen Bright.

The monument will be built in a grassy area behind the Capitol. Commissioner Michael Harry said that since there may be crowds, such as those at the annual March for Life, that wish to visit the monument, it should be placed in an easily accessible area. The grassy area was once the site of a prison that housed both Union and Confederate soldiers.

“I think this new location can accommodate that, whereas the other two locations could not have,” Harry said. “It would have been a logistical nightmare.”