WASHINGTON — Republicans in the Arizona legislature today upheld an extreme total abortion ban passed in 1864 that was reinstated by the Arizona Supreme Court yesterday. Despite swift backlash in Arizona and across the country yesterday, Arizona House Republicans are protecting an archaic law that’s older than Arizona itself and bans nearly all abortions, while threatening 2-5 years prison time for violations.
This is just the latest in Arizona Republicans’ anti-abortion extremism. Republicans already had a restrictive abortion ban on the books, and they’ve spent this legislative session undermining access to contraception and IVF access. Arizona legislative Democrats are on the frontlines of protecting abortion access – building Democratic power in the state is the best defense against threats to reproductive freedom. As the DLCC outlined in a memo last month, twenty-five states – all controlled by Republican legislatures – have enacted laws to ban or restrict abortion earlier than the standard previously protected by Roe. Arizona is a top priority for the DLCC this cycle – 2024 is a pivotal opportunity to flip both the state House and Senate given recent statewide success for Democrats. Arizona Republicans have proven themselves too extreme and out of step with the people of Arizona to govern and it is time for a change.
Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Co-Chair Sen. Priya Sundareshan issued the following statement:
“I am disgusted by the actions of my peers, both lying about their stance on this issue so important to Arizonans, and refusing to repeal the 1864 ban. We are lucky to have Democrats who will do everything in their power to restore Roe protections for the millions of Arizonans who need reproductive healthcare. This is why we need to flip the legislature, pass the ballot initiative, and stop Republicans from taking away this right ever again.”
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“By refusing to vote on repealing the 1864 abortion ban, Arizona Republicans today made clear they support an all-out assault on reproductive freedoms. This Civil War-era law was passed during a time when women couldn’t even vote – a law like this has no place in modern society. Republicans in Arizona refuse to champion women and their fundamental freedoms, which is why the stakes of 2024 elections couldn’t be higher. The strongest path to protecting abortion access lies in flipping control of the Arizona legislature, which is why the DLCC is all hands on deck this year. Republicans in Arizona and across the country have proven they’re too extreme and detached from the will of voters. The DLCC is committed to making sure voters understand their fundamental freedoms are on the ballot this year, and electing Democrats at the state level has never been more important.”
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures and building state infrastructure. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
###
