A new appeal of an Arkansas law gives the Supreme Court an opportunity to deal with abortion.

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge plans to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal of lower court decisions that have gutted the Arkansas Heartbeat bill.

"Back a few years ago, the Arkansas Legislature passed a really good law that essentially bans most abortions after the 12th week of pregnancy," explains Jerry Cox of the Family Council. "[It] made a few exceptions in there, but for the most part, about 98 percent of the abortions would be banned after the 12th week."

However, a St. Louis federal court, then the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down that part of the law. Cox says the intent of the bill is to save babies' lives and also to give the high court an opportunity.

"States need to keep passing laws that will challenge Roe v. Wade, laws that will give the U.S. Supreme Court an opportunity reverse that really bad court ruling from 1973," Cox insists.

That decision, of course, legalized abortion nationwide. But if the high court were to agree to hear this case and overturn Roe v. Wade, then the abortion issue would be in the hands of the states rather than the federal government.