Arizona’s top court, mostly Republican judges, said an old law banning almost all abortions is now valid. But they’re waiting for a lower court to deal with more challenges to the law. This could affect women’s healthcare and politics in a big way.
The court said only abortions needed to save a woman’s life are legal now. But they’re not enforcing this decision yet. They want more talk about if the law is okay. Abortion clinics plan to keep operating until May while lawyers and Democrat lawmakers look for new ways to fight the ruling.
This decision caused a big uproar. Democrats say it’s bad for Arizona and dangerous for women. Some Republicans also don’t like it and want the law gone.
Arizona Supreme Court Upholds 1864 Abortion Law
The Arizona Supreme Court made a decision about an old law. This law has been around since before Arizona became a state. It says abortion is not allowed from the moment of conception, except to save the mother’s life. Doctors who break this law could go to jail for two to five years.
Planned Parenthood Arizona and others who support abortion rights said the old ban didn’t matter anymore. They argued that newer laws about abortion, like one from 2022, should be followed instead. But the court disagreed.
They said the old ban still counts. And because the federal law allowing abortion from Roe v. Wade isn’t valid anymore, Arizona can enforce this old ban.
In simpler terms, the court said since the federal rule about abortion doesn’t exist anymore, Arizona can use its own old law to ban almost all abortions.
Arizona Abortion Ban Sparks Outcry
Justice Steps Down: Justice Bill Montgomery quit the case after saying Planned Parenthood was involved in a big genocide on Facebook.
Huge Blow for Supporters: People who support abortion rights are upset about the court’s decision. They worry it will make it hard for doctors to help women get abortions in Arizona. They think some clinics might stop providing abortions. That means women might need to travel to other states like California, New Mexico, or Colorado.
Doctors Concerned: Dr. Atsuko Koyama, who gives abortions in Phoenix, is worried. She recently helped two women. One was escaping an abusive partner, and the other was in danger because of her pregnancy. She thinks the court’s decision will stop her from helping people like them. She feels like it’s making her a criminal.
President Biden Speaks Out: President Biden thinks the ban is cruel. He says it’s because of Republicans who want to take away women’s freedom. He’s worried about the millions of people in Arizona who will be affected. He believes the ban won’t even protect women when their health is at risk or in terrible cases of rape or incest.
Arizona’s Abortion Battle Unfolds
Arizona’s attorney general, Kris Mayes, a Democrat, called the ruling “terrible” and said she’ll fight it. She won’t charge doctors for abortions. Other prosecutors may do the same.
Governor Katie Hobbs, also a Democrat, took charge of abortion cases with an order. Mayes won’t let county attorneys apply the 1864 ban. This could start a new legal fight with Republicans.
Jake Warner from Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian group, says county prosecutors can enforce the law. They can protect unborn babies.
Hobbs and other Democrats criticized the ruling. They said it’ll make people who support abortion rights vote more in November.
Arizona Abortion Ruling Sparks Political Debate
Anti-abortion groups are happy about the decision. They say it’s about protecting life. Republicans run the Legislature. The governor, Ms. Hobbs, is a Democrat who supports abortion rights. Senator T.J. Shope, a Republican, wants to repeal an old ban. But he supports a 15-week abortion restriction.
The issue might affect elections in Arizona this fall. Former President Trump says states should decide on abortion. Experts say most Arizonans don’t want a complete abortion ban. They prefer some exceptions, according to a recent poll.
Reactions to Abortion Ruling
Democrats won elections by talking about abortion. They think it will get more people to vote. They want to protect abortion rights and are trying to put it in the state constitution.
Ruben Gallego is a Democrat running for Senate. He doesn’t have competition in his party. He criticized the decision and connected it to his opponent, Kari Lake. She supported the near-total ban on abortion before.
Gallego said Lake and others are too extreme. They want to control women’s healthcare choices. He promised to fight for abortion rights in the country.
Kari Lake used to support some restrictions on abortion. But now, she thinks the old law is wrong. She wants lawmakers to fix it.
Some Republican representatives don’t like the ruling either. They want state lawmakers to deal with it.
Abortion Laws Across States
In Arizona, there’s been a long battle over an old law from 1864 about abortion. People argue if it still counts or if newer laws have made it useless. Similar laws in other states also got attention after Roe v. Wade changed.
Wisconsin had a law from 1849 that stopped most abortions, but a judge said it wasn’t banning them. Last September, abortions there started again. In Michigan, Governor Whitmer, a Democrat, got rid of a law from 1931 last spring because voters wanted more rights for abortion.
Read More: Abortion Pill Case: Know Supreme Court’s Complete Insight