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

 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…