Arizona Democratic Governor Signs Bill Rescinding 1864 Abortion Prohibition
The Dem governor recently signed off on a bill that had passed the Senate just a day prior, with two Republicans teaming up with the 14 Dems to push the legislation forward. The debate leading up to the passage was heated, as GOP members lashed out at the two dissenters and protested the potential ballot measure that could etch abortion rights into the state constitution.
During the ceremony marking the bill's signing, Hobbs and other Dem leaders hailed the action as only the beginning of a bigger fight for reproductive liberties.
Hobbs said, "We have to keep going. It's critical we protect women's autonomy, their right to make their own healthcare decisions, and control their lives."
This victory is a win for the groups promoting reproductive rights, who have sought for a long time to overturn the 1864 law banning abortion throughout the pregnancy, except in cases where the mother's life is at risk. This law also threatened doctors with 2-5 years in prison.
Yet, the immediate fate of abortion access in the state remains unknown.
According to Kris Mayes, Arizona's Dem AG, the state court's ruling from April 9, which stated that the state must follow the century-old law, would not become enforceable until at least June 27.
However, the new bill's enactment will not become effective for at least 90 days once the legislature closes shop for the year. This implies that the Civil War-era abortion ban could remain enforced temporarily.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
