( CNN ) -- Overriding a veto by Arkansas ' Democratic governor , the state 's Republican-controlled House and Senate approved a bill to ban abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy , the most restrictive such law in the country . Gov . Mike Beebe , a Democrat , vetoed the bill Monday , saying it `` blatantly contradicts the United States Constitution , as interpreted by the Supreme Court . '' But on Wednesday , the Arkansas House voted 56-33 to override the veto , following a 20-14 override vote a day earlier in the state Senate . The Center for Reproductive Rights and the ACLU of Arkansas promised to mount a legal challenge in federal court , while supporters said they were prepared to fight back . `` We intend to make it ... clear that no one 's constitutional rights are subject to revision by lawmakers intent on scoring political points , and that attempts such as this to turn back the clock on reproductive rights will not stand , '' Nancy Northup , president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights , said in a statement . Should the state lose the challenge , it will have to pay all the legal fees in the case . But Rep. Ann Clemmer , a Republican supporter , says the money would be well spent . `` Protecting unborn children is ... an important way to spend state resources , '' she told CNN affiliate KATV in Little Rock . Called the Arkansas Human Heartbeat Protection Act , the bill requires testing to determine `` whether the fetus that the pregnant woman is carrying possesses a detectible heartbeat . '' Abortions would be banned if the fetus has a detected heartbeat `` and is under 12 weeks or greater gestation . '' Arkansas governor vetoes bill to ban abortions past 12 weeks . Roe v. Wade , a 1973 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court , legalized the right to an abortion in all 50 states . Statutory time limits on when abortions can take place , however , vary from state to state . Some states have no time limit , while others allow abortion up to the end of the second trimester , about 27 or 28 weeks into the pregnancy . As is so often the case with this issue , there are deep divides . Kandi Cox , who had an abortion 20 years ago when she was 19 , now heads Abba Adoption , an agency that offers support for women and teens who choose adoption rather than abortion for their unborn child . `` This is a day of celebration within our state , where we can say that we as the state of Arkansas , we stand for life , '' Cox told CNN affiliate KARK-TV . `` We 're going to continue to fight until Arkansas stays a solid state for life . '' But Jan Gerber , who also had an abortion , said she has no regrets about her decision to end her pregnancy . She is a registered nurse who signed a petition by Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health to support abortion providers . `` I stand for choice , '' Gerber told KARK . `` I stand for the little girl who thinks her voice has been taken away from her , and I 'm 60 and I 'm older and I want to say to that little girl , 'you do have a choice . ' '' CNN 's Darrell Calhoun and Joe Sutton contributed to this report .
Sen . Mike Beebe : Measure ` ` blatantly violated the United States Constitution '' Arkansas : Senate and House override the governor 's veto of the smoking ban . Opponents promise a legal challenge in federal court .