Arizona Proposition 139: Abortion rights debate for 2024 ballot

Cindy Dahlgren, Communications Director for It Goes Too Far, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss Arizona Proposition 139, which will be included on the upcoming ballot.

Proposition 139 is a citizens’ initiative that would amend the Arizona constitution to establish the fundamental right to abortion. This amendment proposes that Arizona may not interfere with an abortion before the point of fetal viability.

Under the current state law, abortions are legal until 15 weeks of pregnancy. Prop 139 would legalize abortions through fetal viability, around 24 weeks gestation. This is unless a health-care professional determines an abortion is necessary to protect “the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual.”

Dahlgren believes that Arizonans already have enough of a right to abortions in Arizona but with common sense safety precautions. She claims Prop 139 would eliminate that.

“Abortion is legal in Arizona up to 15 weeks and then beyond that for any medical emergency. And also, girls and women who seek abortions under current law are ensured that they see a qualified medical doctor and they have common sense safety precautions in place to protect girls and women from complications with abortion,” Dahlgren said.

Dahlgren claims Prop 139 makes those safety precautions impossible to enforce.

“If you look at the language itself, it says that no regulation can infringe on a women’s decision to get an abortion, including safety precautions,” Dahlgren said.

Dahlgren says that Prop 139 doesn’t take away women’s rights it simply protects the common sense protections in place for women.

“We have that right now where a woman or a girl can make that decision and get an abortion up to 15 weeks. That’s almost four months, and then beyond that for any medical emergency. And we also have the doctor requirement and those safety requirements in place. Under Prop 139, you lose those safety precautions. You lose that required medical doctor and you will get expanded abortion that is actually beyond viability through the entire pregnancy for virtually any reason,” Dahlgren said.

As of now, there are 11 statewide ballot measures related to abortion that were certified in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Nevada and South Dakota for the general election ballot in 2024. This is the most on record for a single year.