Today the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that a draconian 123 year-old state law banning abortions must be followed. There is an exception for the life of the mother, but not for rape or incest. From CNN:
"The law, which can be traced to as early as 1864, also carried a prison sentence of two to five years for abortion providers. There is a 14-day stay on the law.
The case is the latest high-profile example of the battle over abortion access that has played out across several states since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court in 2022. Since that decision, nearly two dozen states have banned or limited access to the procedure. Providers have warned that restrictive policies on abortion access place patients at risk of poor health outcomes and doctors at risk of legal liability.
In a notice Monday, the Arizona court indicated it will file an opinion in Planned Parenthood of Arizona vs. Mayes/Hazelrigg at approximately 10 a.m. PT Tuesday.
Justices heard opening arguments in the case last December, when abortion rights opponents claimed the state should revert to the 1901 ban, and advocates asked the court to affirm the 2022 law allowing abortions up to 15 weeks, CNN previously reported." (our emphasis)
The decision was prompted by a lower State court's ruling that the abortion laws in the state needed to be reconciled.
Pro-choice groups have gathered the required number of signatures for placing abortion rights on the November 2024 ballot, to enshrine the right to abortion in the State's constitution. This ruling by the Arizona court is expected to drive many voters to the polls to vote for the pro-choice amendment, as similar anti-choice actions did in other states following the striking down of Roe v. Wade.
