The Arizona Senate voted Wednesday to repeal an 1864 law that outlawed nearly all abortions within the state – and made no exception for circumstances of rape or incest.
The repeal measure handed 16-14, with two Republicans – state Sens. Shawnna Bolick and TJ Shope – becoming a member of all 14 state Senate Democrats in voting to quash the pre-statehood legislation.
Wednesday’s vote got here precisely one week after the Arizona Home voted 32-28 to nix the long-dormant legislation, which the state Supreme Court had ordered officials to enforce last month in gentle of the Supreme Court docket’s June 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade.
The invoice now heads to the desk of Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who is predicted to signal it.
“After nearly a month of Republicans blocking and prolonging Democrats makes an attempt to move laws that might repeal Arizona’s complete abortion ban that was upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court docket in early April, Senate Democrats pressured the repeal to the governor’s desk,” Arizona state Senate Democrats stated in an announcement.
Democratic state Sen. Anna Hernandez, the repeal invoice’s sponsor, known as Wednesday’s vote “a step in the direction of guaranteeing our proper to decide on and defending our entry to abortion in Arizona” however “not the top.”
“We should proceed to combat till our rights are assured within the structure,” she stated in an announcement.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who’s operating to interchange unbiased Kyrsten Sinema within the US Senate, echoed Hernandez’s sentiments.
“This is a crucial step, however our work isn’t carried out. Arizona ladies deserve higher,” the congressman wrote on X.
“That’s why we’re going to move a constitutional proper to abortion and defeat anti-abortion extremists like Kari Lake this November,” Gallego added, referring to his GOP opponent.
Lake signaled her opposition to the Civil Warfare-era legislation final month.
“This complete ban on abortion that the Arizona Supreme Court docket has dominated on is out of line with the place the individuals of this state are,” Lake stated in a video posted on X days after the excessive courtroom’s ruling.
Nonetheless, Lake later expressed disappointment that the legislation was not being enforced by Arizona’s Democratic lawyer basic, Kris Mayes.
“The Arizona Supreme Court docket stated that is the legislation of Arizona. However sadly, the individuals operating our state have stated we’re not going to implement it,” she informed the Idaho Dispatch.
Former President Donald Trump additionally criticized the state Supreme Court’s ruling final month, arguing that the judges went “too far” and predicting that it might get “straightened out … in a short time.”
The centuries-old legislation was set to enter impact on June 8, and it might have outmoded the state’s present 15-week abortion ban.
Abortion rights advocates in Arizona say they’ve gathered sufficient signatures to position a poll measure amending the state structure on Nov. 5 of this 12 months.
