The Arizona Supreme Court recently made a decision to keep a law from 1864 that mostly stops abortions. This is a big deal for women’s healthcare and could also cause a stir in politics as we near the November elections.
The judges voted 4 to 2 to keep the old law, saying that because the U.S. Supreme Court changed the rules about abortion, Arizona can use this old law. But they also said the decision about this big issue should be made by the people of Arizona, not just the judges.
The law from 1864 says that unless it’s to save the mother’s life, nobody can do abortions. If someone breaks this law, they could go to prison for two to five years. Back in 1971, Planned Parenthood tried to get rid of this law in court, but they lost. Then in 1973, the big Roe v. Wade decision came, which allowed abortions. But that didn’t apply in Arizona because of the old law.
Things changed in 2022 when the Supreme Court made a new ruling called Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This made the Roe v. Wade decision not count anymore. So, Republicans in Arizona asked the courts to let them start using the old law again. Also, in 2022, the governor of Arizona, who was Republican at the time, made a law that said doctors could only do abortions before 15 weeks, except if the mother’s life was in danger. Breaking this law could mean going to prison too.
Now, the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision means they can start using the old law again. But they’re still thinking about what to do about the case from 1971. Also, they’re waiting to start using the old law until they figure out what to do next.
Some people, like the Arizona Attorney General, think this decision is bad for the health and lives of people in Arizona. They say it’s wrong to go back to such an old law. They’re also worried because there’s a plan to put a new law on the ballot in November to make sure people can still have abortions.
This decision might make a lot of people want to vote, especially Democrats, who usually like having abortions be legal. It could change things in Arizona politics, where Republicans are in charge right now.