Arkansas governor Mike Beebe vetoes bill that would've barred abortions past 12 weeks

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe vetoed a bill Monday afternoon that would have prohibited abortions if a fetus' heartbeat could be detected 12 or more weeks into a pregnancy.
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Posted: 03/04/2013

By: By CNN Staff

(CNN) -- Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe vetoed a bill Monday afternoon that would have prohibited abortions if a fetus' heartbeat could be detected 12 or more weeks into a pregnancy.

In a statement, Beebe claimed the measure "blatantly contradicts the United States Constitution."

Known as the "Arkansas Human Heartbeat Protection Act," the bill would require testing to determine "whether the fetus that the pregnant woman is carrying possesses a detectable heartbeat."

Abortions would be banned if the fetus has a detected heartbeat "and is under 12 weeks or greater gestation."

The bill could still be enacted if the state legislature overrides the veto of Beebe, a Democrat. It passed the state Senate by a 26-8 vote and the House by a 68-20 vote.