The Supreme Court of Arizona issued a decision allowing the state to enforce an 1864 pre-statehood, near-total ban on abortion against medical providers. The 1864 law, enacted before Arizona became a state, does not provide any exceptions for rape or incest and permits abortion only when the mother’s life is in danger.
The Supreme Court of Arizona issued a decision allowing the state to enforce an 1864 pre-statehood, near-total ban on abortion against medical providers. The 1864 law, enacted before Arizona became a state, does not provide any exceptions for rape or incest and permits abortion only when the mother’s life is in danger.
The law carries a sentence of two to five years in prison upon conviction. Lawyers for Planned Parenthood Arizona said they believe criminal penalties will apply only to doctors. But the penalties also apply to providing abortion pills — the most common method in the United States.
State Attorney General Kris Mayes criticized the law as ‘cruel.’ Mayes stated, “Today’s decision to reimpose a law from a time when Arizona wasn’t a state, the civil war was raging, and women couldn’t even vote will go down in history as a stain on our state.”
Abortion rights take center stage in upcoming elections
A recent poll by the Wall Street Journal suggests that the debated abortion ban in the U.S. is a critical issue for undecided voters, who have been decisive in the last two elections and are likely to play a key role in the 2024 elections as well. According to the Journal’s survey, 57% of suburban women believe that Trump’s abortion policies are excessively restrictive.
U.S. President Joe Biden is prioritizing women’s health and reproductive rights in his campaign leading up to the November 5th elections. Campaigning on the promise to restore abortion rights, Biden will face off against his likely Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, who has taken a stance on abortion but hasn’t fully clarified his position.
President Joe Biden and his allies are emphasizing efforts to restore abortion rights, while Trump has avoided endorsing a national abortion ban, saying states should decide and warning that the issue could lead to Republican losses. The court decision gives Arizona the strictest abortion law of the top-tier battleground states.
Trump has also been seen as holding a ‘contradictory’ stance, supporting both the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and asserting that decisions should be left to the states.