Topline
The Arizona legislature passed a 15-week abortion ban Thursday, the second state to do so this year as the Supreme Court considers a similar law in Mississippi and appears poised to let the states impose the restriction.
Pro- and anti-abortion rights demonstrators gather in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on December … [+]
Key Facts
The Arizona House passed SB 1164 along party lines, the Associated Press reports, after the state Senate approved it in February.
The bill outlaws all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy except in the case of medical emergencies, and makes it a felony for doctors to perform abortions in violation of the law.
SB 1164 will now go to Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who is expected to sign it into law, as the AP notes the Republican governor has never vetoed anti-abortion legislation.
The law won’t stop Arizona from going further in banning abortion if the Supreme Court allows it to, as a provision in the law ensures the 15-week ban won’t supersede an existing Arizona law that outlaws abortion entirely if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
Big Number
636. That’s the number of abortions in Arizona that were performed after 15 weeks in 2020, according to the state health department, out of 13,186 in total. Though post-15 week abortions make up only a minority of those performed, abortion advocates argue it’s still important to have the procedure accessible then, noting those seeking abortions after 15 weeks are often minors, people who didn’t have access to care sooner or those with health complications that only emerged later into the pregnancy.
Chief Critic
“Let’s be crystal clear: The 15-week ban passed today will harm Arizonans and their families,” Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said in a statement Thursday. “There is no such thing as a ‘reasonable’ abortion ban because there is no ‘reasonable’ compromise on people’s fundamental rights.”
Key Background
Arizona is one of a slew of GOP-led states to pass abortion restrictions in recent months, as the Supreme Court considers whether to roll back abortion rights nationwide. The court is currently deliberating whether to uphold Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban and let states restrict abortion even before the fetus is viable, which could result in the 6-3 conservative court overturning Roe v. Wade entirely. Though many states are going even further than 15-week bans with measures that ban abortions entirely or earlier in the pregnancy, the Washington Post reports 15-week bans have become attractive to many anti-abortion lawmakers, as they seem more “reasonable” and draw less controversy than more significant restrictions, and will stand even if the Supreme Court just sides with Mississippi and doesn’t overturn Roe v. Wade entirely. Florida lawmakers were the first to pass a 15-week ban this year earlier in March, and West Virginia is expected to follow after the state’s House of Delegates passed 15-week legislation in February.
Further Reading
Arizona Legislature approves 15-week abortion ban (Associated Press)
Florida Lawmakers Pass 15-Week Abortion Ban — Other States Will Likely Follow (Forbes)
Florida Lawmakers Latest To Approve 15-Week Abortion Ban—One Day After Arizona And West Virginia (Forbes)
Fla. Republicans ditch Texas-style abortion law for what they call a ‘generous’ 15-week ban, drawing criticism from all sides (Washington Post)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/03/24/arizona-passes-15-week-abortion-ban—same-as-mississippi-law-supreme-court-now-weighing/