Arizona’s Abortion Ban and 10 Commandments Bill Are Peak MAGA Madness
Arizona’s Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the state’s 1864 law banning all abortions, except to save the life of the mother, is now, enforceably, the law of the land. It is now a felony for a doctor—or anyone else—to assist a woman getting an abortion, punishable by two to five years in prison.
This is exactly what Arizona Republicans had in mind when, in 2022, the GOP-majority legislature passed a bill restricting nearly all abortions to within 15 weeks. However, included in that bill is a provision that essentially rescinded the 15-week law if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Once Roe was done away with, Republicans and anti-abortion groups sued to enforce the 1864 ban.
It is unlikely the legislature will pass an updated law this session. There will be an abortion initiative on the ballot in November to create a constitutional amendment enshrining the provisions of Roe v. Wade into law. If passed—and polls show Arizonans are greatly in favor of guaranteeing abortion rights—Arizona will legalize abortion and keep it out of reach of future legislative meddling with individual rights.