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Arizona Republicans on Wednesday again blocked a Democratic-led effort to repeal a controversial 19th-century ban on almost all abortions in the state, which the Arizona Supreme Court has ruled is enforceable.
Democrats in the state House failed to overcome procedural obstacles to advance House Bill 2677, introduced by Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, to repeal the 1864 abortion law, which predates Arizona’s statehood and only provides exceptions to save the life of the pregnant woman.
Only one of the Republican representatives joined with the Democratic minority, leaving them one vote short of pushing the bill forward.
« The last thing we should be doing today is rushing a bill through the legislative process to repeal a law that has been enacted and reaffirmed by the Legislature several times, » Speaker Ben Toma, a Republican, said during Wednesday’s state House session.
« Abortion is a complicated topic — it is ethically, morally complex, » said Toma. « I understand that we have deeply held beliefs. »
Assistant Minority Leader Oscar De Los Santos, speaking after Toma, said, « This issue is very simple: Do we support or do we oppose an 1864 territorial abortion ban that includes no exceptions for rape, no exceptions for incest? »
He continued: « We heard the speaker mention that we shouldn’t be rushing this process. Members, we have had since 1864 to repeal this abhorrent law, »
Arizona lawmakers had reconvened on Wednesday after a week’s recess, with much attention was on the repeal bill and whether it would move forward.
It’s unclear how Democrats will next attempt to roll back the strict ban, though members in the state Senate have said they plan to act quickly to take up such efforts in their chamber later Wednesday.
The Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling reviving the 1864 ban immediately roiled the politics of the key swing state — being celebrated by abortion opponents and denounced by abortion access advocates and Democrats, while top Republicans, including Donald Trump, said it went too far.
The ban remains temporarily on hold but Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said this week that the earliest it could take effect is June 8 — « absent any additional litigation » or legislative action.
Anyone found guilty of violating it will face two to five years in state prison.
