Vote comes after Arizona GOP leader said women should “put [aspirin] between your knees” to prevent pregnancy while blasting contraception
WASHINGTON — Yesterday, MAGA Arizona Republicans unanimously blocked legislation to protect access to contraception in Arizona. State Republicans blocked the Right to Contraception Act in both the House and Senate – displaying dangerous unity in their mission to deny Arizonans protections for birth control access. Republicans were able to kill this bill given they control both chambers by one-seat majorities – targeting both chambers in Arizona is a top priority for the DLCC in 2024.
Just last week, Arizona Republican Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli went on an offensive rant chastising women as he blasted this legislation, saying, “Like I said, Bayer Company invented aspirin. Put it between your knees.”
This is just the latest in Republicans’ far-ranging attacks on women and their access to reproductive care that are happening in state legislatures across the country. From undermining access to contraceptives to attacking IVF services to banning abortion, reproductive freedom is the top target of MAGA extremism. MAGA 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 is a top target for the DLCC in 2024, and we are going all in to break the GOP’s control of the state legislature and stop the extreme agenda of MAGA Republicans.
ADLCC Co-Chair Senator Priya Sundareshan issued the following statement:
“Over the last few weeks, Arizona Democrats have demonstrated that we will use every tool available to protect access to contraception. At every turn, Republicans have rejected those efforts. Reproductive freedom is widely supported by Arizonans of all political parties, making Arizona Republicans totally out of step with what voters want from their lawmakers. Make no mistake, if Arizona Republicans retain control of the legislature, Arizonans will remain under threat of losing access to the full range of reproductive health care, from contraception to abortion to IVF.”
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“Arizona Republicans are the extreme of the extreme, but unfortunately, they aren’t alone. This is symbolic of what we’re seeing across the country – Republicans will stop at nothing to attack fundamental freedoms, and there isn’t any bill or measure too extreme for them. First, it was abortion, then it was IVF, now, they are refusing to protect contraceptives. This has never been about family planning – it’s 100% about control and power. Arizonans and the rest of the country deserve leaders who fight for their full spectrum of rights, not those who work in lockstep to block them. Democrats are mere seats away from ending Republican control in both chambers of the Arizona legislature so that commonsense legislation like this can become law. The DLCC is all hands on deck in Arizona and across the country – come November, voters will hold Republicans accountable for their obstruction and extremism.”
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.
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