WASHINGTON — Arizona Republicans today tripled down on their refusal to repeal the extreme total abortion ban dating back to 1864 that was recently reinstated by the Arizona Supreme Court. Arizona Democrats, in the minority, have repeatedly pushed for a swift repeal of the ban, yet Republicans in control continue to block the repeal, despite Arizonans’ loud opposition.
Arizona Republicans’ anti-abortion crusade has hit new highs since the state Supreme Court ruling. Earlier this week, news broke that Republicans are scheming to introduce an anti-abortion ballot measure proposal to confuse and mislead voters in November, in a blatant attempt to undermine the Arizona for Abortion Access ballot measure. Instead of passing a legislative fix to address the fallout from the 1864 ban, Republicans are ducking from their legislative responsibility and focusing on further attacking abortion access.
Republicans have made clear they will undermine abortion access at every turn. Flipping control of the Arizona state legislature has never been more important. 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.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee National Press Secretary Sam Paisley issued the following statement:
“The clock is ticking for the legislature to take action and pass a fix to address the 1864 total abortion ban in Arizona. Instead of addressing this dire issue, Republicans have repeatedly ignored calls from Arizona communities and refused to repeal the ban. Republican legislators will own the consequences of this devastating ban taking effect. Arizonans deserve real leadership in times of crisis; not elected officials who undermine public will and intentionally deceive voters into potentially voting against their fundamental freedoms – all in a desperate attempt to hold onto power. Flipping the Arizona House and Senate in 2024 is not a priority – it’s a necessity. Arizona Republicans are too extreme and out of step with voters, and it’s never been more important to flip the legislature and elect true champions of reproductive justice. The DLCC is all hands on deck to ensure Arizonans understand the stakes of altering the balance of power in the state legislature to shape the direction of Arizona.”
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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