Republican lawmakers in Arizona made that clear Wednesday, despite the controversy that has engulfed their state.
Reinstate the strict ban on abortion during the Civil War – Bringing important policies to the battlefield and criticism from conservative leaders like Donald Trump: now is not the time to move too quickly.
“The House does not rely on knee-jerk reactions,” House Speaker Ben Thomas said during the session, as did most Republicans, with one exception.
Democrats’ efforts to speed the passage of the bill have stalled. Repeal of the 1864 abortion ban, which the Arizona Supreme Court recently declared unenforceable.
Toma stated that the last course of action is to repeal a law that has been passed and protected multiple times in the legislative process.
The 1864 ban, which replaces the 15-week abortion ban passed in 2022 following a Supreme Court ruling, prohibits all abortions except those to save the life of a pregnant woman.
Anyone found guilty of violating the law faces two to five years in prison, but Democratic Arizona Attorney General Chris Mays has said he will not prosecute providers to the full extent of the law.
While the ban is pending, Mayes said this week it could take effect June 8 without “further litigation” or legislative action.
Although the ban was celebrated by abortion opponents such as US President Susan B. Anthony, Marjorie Dennenfelser, who called the state Supreme Court’s decision “a great victory for the orphan and her mother,” condemned supporters. of abortion and the Democrats…
As lawmakers reconvened Wednesday and Democrats tried to advance their repeal plan, supporters on both sides of the issue gathered inside and outside the Capitol.
Ultimately, Democrats need two Republicans to join them in each chamber. In the Senate, Shawna Bowlick and TJ Shope said they would support repeal; House Democrats hope to eventually be joined by David Cook or Tim Dunne as representatives.
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“Today we have the best legislation,” said Senator Schulze.
Farnsworth argued that there were no exceptions to the ban, stating, “Arizona is a pro-life state and this law was passed by people who believe in the sanctity of life.”
House Speaker Toma said during Wednesday’s session: “Abortion is a difficult issue; it is ethically and morally difficult.” Abortion kills babies.
This view stands in stark contrast to some of the Republican Party’s most prominent voices, who have taken a more cautious stance in an election year when abortion is a big issue for voters and there are races over abortion access in other parts of the country. country. . . The country won.
Prominent Republicans such as Trump, former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Senate candidate Kari Lake have expressed general support for abortion restrictions. But he said the 1864 ban went too far.
The state’s Democratic governor, Kathy Hobbs, called on state lawmakers to repeal the ban but responded to Trump.
“I’m a little tired of cleaning up Donald Trump’s mess,” Hobbs said on “GMA3″ last week. However, as you can see, these politicians are using this as a political tool to achieve their desired outcomes. Speaking gloatingly about Roe v. Wade out of there. And the outcome is as follows.”
Since Roe was overturned in 2022 by a 6-3 conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court, including three Trump-nominated justices who have frequently criticized it, 21 states have banned or severely restricted access to abortion.
But since 2022, voters across the country have repeatedly voted to protect abortion rights, and exit polls have shown it is a priority for some voters, for example in Michigan.
The Arizona Abortion Access Campaign is working on a potential constitutional amendment for the November ballot to include an abortion access law that Democrats say will dampen voter enthusiasm and energize their candidates.
The campaign says it has collected more than 500,000 signatures, more than the required number, but will continue collecting signatures “until the coins run out.”