PHOENIX, ARIZONA – APRIL 17: Members of Arizona for Abortion Access, the ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights in the Arizona State Constitution, hold a press conference and protest condemning Arizona House Republicans and the 1864 abortion ban during a recess from a legislative session at the Arizona House of Representatives on April 17, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona House Republicans blocked the Democrats from holding a vote to overturn the 1864 abortion ban revived last week by the Arizona Supreme Court. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
OAN’s Abril Elfi
4:53 PM – Tuesday, April 30, 2024
The Arizona State Senate voted to repeal the 1864 abortion ban that was recently ruled enforceable by the Arizona Supreme Court.
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Two Senate Republicans, Shawnna Bolick (R-Ariz.) and T.J. Shope (R-Ariz.), joined all 14 Democrats in the divided chamber to approve the repeal of the Civil War-era law that led to the power of sending a doctor to prison for providing an abortion.
In a speech, prior to casting her crucial vote, Bolick made her opposition clear to reproductive health organizations and abortion providers, like Planned Parenthood, while sharing several stories of different women who had serious pregnancy complications and required care that “could have been restricted” under the 1864 law.
However, in a plot twist, Bolick then unexpectedly disclosed that every pregnancy of the numerous unnamed women she highlighted had actually been her own personal experiences as she wrapped up the 21-minute speech.
“Would Arizona’s pre-Roe law have allowed me this medical procedure even though at the time my life was not in danger?” Bolick asked rhetorically at one point. She was referring to a dilation and curettage procedure that she needed during the first trimester of a non-viable pregnancy.
“Having a ‘D and C’ in my first trimester because the baby wasn’t viable was very tough,” Bolick asserted.
Meanwhile, as usual, President Joe Biden’s campaign pinned blame regarding the reproductive rights landscape in the state on former President Donald Trump.
“While Arizona Democrats have worked to clean up the devastating mess created by Trump and his extremist allies, the state’s existing ban, with no exception for rape or incest, remains in effect,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement released by the Biden re-election campaign.
The repeal legislation now heads to the desk of Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.), who said in a statement soon after the vote that she looks “forward to quickly signing the repeal into law.”
After being signed by Hobbs, the repeal will take effect 90 days after the legislative session ends, which must be by June 30th.
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