Arizona House advances a repeal of the state's near-total abortion ban to the Senate
Last edited Wed Apr 24, 2024, 04:50 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: AP
Updated 4:18 PM EDT, April 24, 2024
PHOENIX (AP) — A proposed repeal of Arizona’s near-total ban on abortions won approval from the state House Wednesday after two weeks of mounting pressure on Republicans over an issue that has bedeviled former President Donald Trump’s campaign to return to the White House.
Three Republicans joined in with all 29 Democrats Wednesday to repeal a law that predated Arizona’s statehood and provides no exceptions for rape or incest. If the Senate approves as expected, Arizona would allow abortions up to 15 weeks.
Their political ambitions imperiled by widespread opposition to a near-total abortion ban, Trump and U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake had urged Arizona lawmakers to ease the restrictions. But until Wednesday, most state House Republicans repeatedly used procedural votes to block repeal, each time drawing condemnation from Democratic President Joe Biden, who has made his support for abortion rights central to his reelection campaign.
“Make no mistake, Arizonans are living in 1864 now because Donald Trump dismantled Roe v. Wade,” Democratic state Sen. Priya Sundareshan of Tucson said in a news conference Wednesday organized by the Biden campaign and the Arizona Democratic Party.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-1864-ban-repeal-lawmakers-84b0cd9a8c44ddaefed2c45e9eff1c79
Article updated.
Original article -
PHOENIX (AP) — A proposed repeal of Arizona’s near-total ban on abortions has won approval from the state House, clearing its first hurdle two weeks after a court concluded the state can enforce the 1864 law, which only offers an exception for saving the patient’s life.
Three Republicans joined in with all 29 Democrats on Wednesday to repeal a law that predated Arizona’s statehood and provides no exceptions for rape or incest. The vote came after weeks of mounting pressure on Republicans in a battleground state during a presidential election year.
Republicans had repeatedly used procedural votes to block earlier repeal efforts, each time drawing condemnation from Democratic President Joe Biden, who has made his support for abortion rights central to his reelection campaign. The breakthrough came Wednesday when a second Republican joined all Democrats in voting to overrule GOP House speaker, who has steadfastly blocked repeal. A third Republican joined to support repeal.
Republicans have used procedural votes to block earlier repeal efforts, each time drawing condemnation from Democratic President Joe Biden, who has made his support for abortion rights central to his reelection campaign.
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