Justice who opposed blocking an Arkansas abortion referendum will lead the state Supreme Court

Justice Karen Baker, who strongly opposed the Arkansas Supreme Court’s decision to block an abortion-rights measure, has been elected as the court’s first female chief justice. Despite this victory, the court’s conservative majority remains intact.
A justice who wrote a blistering dissent when the Arkansas Supreme Court blocked an abortion-rights measure from the ballot has been elected to lead the court. Justice Karen Baker defeated Justice Rh…