CV NEWS FEED // In a landmark decision announced on April 9, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld a 160-year-old pro-life law.
The court’s decision will effectively ban most abortions in the state.
The Arizona Republic reported that the “pre-statehood law mandates two to five years in prison for anyone aiding an abortion, except if the procedure is necessary to save the life of the mother.”
The Supreme Court decided that enforcement of the law will begin on April 23. The decision, which pro-life groups have hailed as a victory for mothers and unborn children, faces an uphill road to being enforced. Last year, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs issued an executive order deferring the enforcement of abortion to the current attorney general, Democrat Kris Mayes.
In a swift and angry reaction to the Supreme Court decision in her official X account, Mayes wrote: “Let me be completely clear, as long as I am Attorney General, no woman or doctor will be prosecuted under this draconian law in this state.”
Nevertheless, according to the Arizona Republic, Mayes could be challenged by any of the state’s county attorneys.
One of the justices, John R. Lopez IV, commented that the ruling is aimed at leaving the decision to the people of Arizona.
“A policy matter of this gravity must ultimately be resolved by our citizens through the legislature or the initiative process. Today, we decline to make this weighty policy decision because such judgments are reserved for our citizens,” Justice Lopez wrote, according to Arizona’s CBS station.
Abortion supporters have a potential ballot measure that would open the state to an extreme pro-abortion law.
According to The Arizona Republic, “advocates say they’ve already got more than 500,000 signatures, well above the threshold of 383,923 signatures needed by an early July deadline.”
