ARIZONA, USA — Abortion rights have been up in the air since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. But now, voters in Arizona could have the chance to enshrine abortion access as part of the state constitution.
A coalition of organizers announced the expected filing of the "Arizona Abortion Access Act" on Tuesday: a proposed constitutional amendment that could appear on the November 2024 general election ballot.
Since Roe was struck down, the standing of abortion rights in Arizona has been murky at best.
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs recently issued an executive order that stripped county prosecutors of the power to bring charges in abortion-related cases. That authority was turned over to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to the written disapproval of 12 of our 15 county prosecutors.
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Arizona was also subject to a 159-year-old territorial law banning abortion. An appeal to restore the law is currently under review by the Arizona Supreme Court. It hasn't been decided if they will hear the appeal or not.
Pro-choice advocates argue that ban on abortion after 15 weeks currently active in Arizona is too strict and deprives pregnant people of their liberty and autonomy.
“This initiative will bring together a vast coalition of Arizonans from across the state who will stand up and declare that we should be able to make our own health care decisions without interference from politicians,” said Arizona for Abortion Access Chair Dr. Candace Lew. “Since the fall of Roe, we have seen our communities come together as a multigenerational and multiracial movement for reproductive freedom to fight for Arizonans’ fundamental rights, and this ballot initiative will continue to build on this momentum. Thousands of Arizonans will power this grassroots effort to not only pose this question to voters, but ensure it passes next November.”
The coalition is composed of the ACLU of Arizona, Affirm Sexual and Reproductive Health, Arizona List, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, NARAL Arizona, and Healthcare Rising Arizona.
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