The Arizona legislature is expected to pass a repeal of the 1864 total abortion ban today, but the 15-week abortion ban will remain in effect until we flip the Arizona legislature
ARIZONA – Democrats in the Arizona legislature are expected to succeed in pushing the GOP-controlled legislature to repeal the 1864 total abortion ban today, but an unpopular 15-week abortion ban will remain the law of the land in the Grand Canyon State after its repeal.
Republicans in Arizona have been extreme on abortion even before Roe was overturned. In 2022, months before the Dobbs decision left abortion up to the states, the GOP legislature passed the current 15-week ban, which makes no exceptions for rape or incest. Arizona’s Republican majorities penned the 15-week legislation to explicitly state that it did not overrule any prior law, which would include the 1864 ban and are the reason for the archaic ban that has caused chaos and confusion since the state supreme court reinstated the outdated law.
A reminder: A 15-week abortion ban is massively unpopular, with Virginia Republicans running on a similar ban before losing to the DLCC in Virginia’s 2023 legislative elections and polling indicating that a majority of Americans still disapprove of the ban.
Arizona Republicans have made clear they will undermine abortion access at every turn. A 15-week abortion ban is still extreme, devastating for reproductive health care, and unpopular with voters. 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 Communications Director Abhi Rahman issued the following statement:
“While Republicans will try to take credit today for repealing the wildly unpopular 1864 ban, it’s important to remember that Republicans in the legislature are the ones that began this mess in the first place. A 15-week abortion ban remains in effect, and that is solely the product of anti-abortion Republicans using their legislative majorities to control and restrict reproductive freedom. Arizonans want to make their own decisions about reproductive health, and Arizona Republicans’ 15-week ban is still out of step with voters’ wishes.
“Republicans in Arizona’s slim GOP majorities cannot be trusted, and flipping just two seats in either chamber is all it will take to create a Democratic majority and block anti-abortion extremism from affecting the lives of Arizonans. The only way to protect reproductive rights is electing Democrats to state legislatures and the DLCC is fully committed to ensuring that voters grasp the stakes of November’s state legislative elections. Democratic majorities in the legislature will protect and expand reproductive freedoms, not take them away.”
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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