Arizona Lawmakers Vote to Repeal 1864 Near-Total Abortion Ban
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Arizona lawmakers voted to repeal a near-total ban on abortion.
For Context: The ban was passed in 1864. The Roe v. Wade ruling from the Supreme Court in 1973 overruled the law. The overturning of Roe in the summer of 2022 put this law back in the spotlight. In April, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the ban while allowing time for challenges. This law bans abortion at conception unless the life of the mother is at risk.
Details: The Arizona state Senate voted 16-14 to repeal the law, with two Republican lawmakers joining Democrats. Despite the repeal passing, the ban will still briefly go into effect, since the repeal won’t take effect until 90 days after the current legislative session ends.
Key Quote: Heather Williams, President of the Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, stated after the vote, “Make no mistake: Democrats' fierce persistence against weeks of Republican obstruction is the only reason the 1864 ban was repealed and this shows a clear contrast in leadership. As Republicans regroup to defend their 15-week ban and work to undermine the upcoming abortion ballot measure in Arizona, we are focused on flipping the two seats in each chamber that will deliver Democratic majorities in Arizona's legislature.”
How the Media Covered It: Newsweek (Center bias) and The Daily Beast (Left bias) both noted prominent Republican lawmakers who came out against the ban. The Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) noted why the two Republican state Senators voted with Democrats to repeal the ban.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Arizona Senate Votes to Overturn 1864 Abortion Ban
Arizona Republicans voted to overturn the state’s 1864-era abortion ban Wednesday in a shocking about-face that could have ripple effects into November.
Two Republicans, Sens. Shawnna Bolick and T.J. Shope, voted with Democrats in the Senate to repeal the ban, which bans all abortions except to save the woman’s life, in a contentious session in which one Republican called the state of his party “disgusting.”
The reversal comes after last month’s ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court that the near-total ban is enforceable, replacing the 15-week ban that has been...
From the Center
Arizona Republicans Repeal Abortion Ban—It's Still Going Into Effect Though
The Arizona Senate on Wednesday repealed a near-total abortion ban after the state's Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the ban enacted in 1864 was still enforceable.
The state Senate passed the repeal in a 16-14 vote with two Republicans voting to repeal the near-total ban. The state House voted to repeal the ban last week, and Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs is expected to sign the repeal immediately.
Despite the repeal, state Attorney General Kris Mayes said the near-total abortion ban will still go into effect as early as...
From the Right
Arizona Senate votes to repeal 1864 abortion law, sending measure to governor’s desk
Arizona state senators successfully passed a measure to repeal the state’s near-total 1864 abortion ban following a heated and emotional voting session.
Two Republican state senators, Shawnna Bolick and T.J. Shope, joined Democrats in a 16-14 vote in favor of repealing the measure. The House passed an identical bill in the lower chamber last week, also with several Republican crossover votes.
The Civil War-era law was upheld by the state Supreme Court in April and came into effect due to a complicated sequence of legal events, supplanting a measure enacted...
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