Culture and Social Issues

Arizona Republicans Scramble To Counter Abortion Amendment Proposal

Republican lawmakers in Arizona are trying to fast-track ballot initiatives to counter an abortion amendment that will likely be in front of voters this fall, according to Axios.

Activists have been working to get an amendment on the ballot that would enshrine abortion as a right in the state’s constitution and in April, proponents of the measure claimed that they had enough signatures to get the proposal on the ballot in November, according to NBC News. GOP state representatives, however, are considering a series of initiatives that would protect the legislature’s ability to limit abortion and enshrine a law restricting abortion to before the first day of the 15th week of pregnancy, according to Axios.

Republican elected officials in Arizona are also considered proposing a ballot initiative that would ban abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy, according to Axios. The initiative would allow exceptions for cases of rape and incest.

If enacted, Arizona’s abortion amendment would protect abortion up to the point of viability, roughly considered to be around 24 weeks, according to Axios. Republican State House Speaker Ben Toma said that the proposals are for prompting discussion on the subject.

“I’ve publicly stated that we are looking at options to address this subject, and this is simply part of that,” Toma told Axios.

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled on April 9 that a law from 1864, which makes abortions illegal and punishable by a felony charge of up to five years in prison for anyone who either performs the procedures or helps procure one, with limited exceptions, could go into effect. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed the court “went too far” and Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake also came out against the ruling, demanding Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs come up with a “common sense solution.”