Arizona House sends bill to Senate to abolish nearly complete ban on abortion

The state House in Arizona voted to approve a proposal to lift almost all restrictions on abortions. Republicans faced a lot of pressure over this issue for two weeks. This has been a difficult issue for former U.S leaders President Donald Trump is trying to become president again.

Three Republicans and 29 Democrats worked together to get rid of a law in Arizona that doesn’t make any exceptions for rape or incest and has been around since before the state became official. If the Senate says yes, Arizona will let women have abortions up to 15 weeks.

Trump and US Senate candidate Kari Lake wanted Arizona lawmakers to make it easier for women to get abortions because their plans for politics were in danger because many people were against a nearly complete ban on abortions. However, before Wednesday, many Republicans in the state House used procedural votes to stop the repeal. This made President Joe Biden, a Democrat, very upset because he strongly believes in the right to have an abortion. He has been focusing on this issue in his campaign for re-election.

“Arizonans are living in the past because Donald Trump got rid of Roe v. Wade,” said Democratic state Sen. Priya Sundareshan from Tucson spoke at a news event on Wednesday held by the Biden campaign and the Arizona Democratic Party.

The repeal vote happened the day after Biden said Trump made it harder for women to get health care.

Many people stood outside the state Capitol and then went inside to watch as lawmakers voted. Some of them had signs or wore shirts to show they disagreed with abortion rights.

Arizona Republicans are feeling pressure because some of the people who support them want to ban abortion. But, this is causing problems with other voters who are undecided and will make important decisions in elections. The Senate and the GOP control the government.

The Republican representative said he is very upset today. Rachel Jones did not want to cancel something. “Life is an important part of our Republican beliefs. ” I feel very upset when I see people not following that value.

The highest court in Arizona decided that the state can start using a law that allows abortions only when the patient’s life is in danger. The decision said doctors could be charged under a law from 1864 that punishes people who help with abortions with two to five years in prison.

A week ago, one Republican and all Democrats in the Arizona House voted to get rid of a law, but it didn’t pass.

The law was stopped after the US Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision said that it’s a constitutional right to have an abortion all over the country.

After the court decided to change Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich convinced a state judge to enforce the 1864 ban. However, the law has not been put into action while the case has been going through the courts. Kris Mayes, who is the new Attorney General and a Democrat, asked the state’s highest court not to bring back the law.

Mayes says the law might start on June 8. But the anti-abortion group, Alliance Defending Freedom, says that county prosecutors can start enforcing it when the Supreme Court’s decision is final, which will likely be this week.

If the Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs agree, a new law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy would become the main rule for abortions in 2022.

Planned Parenthood promises to keep doing abortions as long as it’s still allowed. They will also find ways to help patients go to other states like New Mexico and California for abortions.

Last summer, people who support abortion rights started an effort to have Arizona voters make a new law that says women have the right to choose abortion.

The new law would make sure women can have an abortion up to around 24 weeks into their pregnancy, when the baby could live outside the womb. It would also permit abortions at a later stage if it’s necessary to save the parent’s life or to protect her physical or mental well-being.

Republican politicians are thinking about adding different ideas about abortion to the voting choices in November.

A secret document showed what House Republicans are thinking about for abortion laws. They might make existing regulations into laws, make a 14-week ban that looks like a 15-week law, and stop abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

House Republicans have not told anyone about the plans they have for voting.