Arizona Supreme Court abortion ruling

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled the state can enforce a 160-year-old near-total abortion ban. The 1864 law makes abortion punishable by two to five years in prison, except when the mother’s life is at risk.

Arizona voters will have the chance to approve abortion rights in November, and Rep. David Cook (R) said Republicans will bring a new package to the state legislature floor to fix the abortion ban.

Rep. Cook advocated for the abortion ban to include sympathy for the victims of rape and incest. “They need to be included in all of that. It’s horrific. We need to look out for those people as well,” he said.

A plan for possible improvements includes:

• To have a hearing and a committee for the bill
• Allow voters to decide on the bill
• Allow voters to decide on the specifications of the ban

The Arizona state legislature will resume the discussion on the abortion ban Wednesday, April 17, 2024.