The Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a Civil War-era law that nearly bans all abortions in the state.
The decision could play a major factor in the 2024 election as voters will likely weigh whether abortion rights should be added to the state’s constitution.
Upholding the 160-year-old law, passed before Arizona’s statehood, means that it will be “prospectively enforced” by April 23. The law bans abortions with exceptions in cases in which the mother faces immediate life-threatening conditions, and it mandates a prison sentence of between two and five years for a healthcare provider that performs the procedure unlawfully.
Legal background
Arizona has been ground zero for state-level debates on abortion access following the federal Supreme Court’s overturning of national-level protections for abortion in the Read more…
