“There is no reason to rush on this very important topic," one Republican said about the Civil War-era, total abortion ban that's set to take effect in weeks.following Monday’s state Supreme Court ruling that the 1864 law can be enforced. In the state House, Republicans called for a recess and adjourned until next week, blocking a member of their own caucus—Rep. Matt Gress—from trying to initiate a vote on Democrats’ bill.
Arizona Republicans have since attempted to simultaneously distance themselves from the 19th-century abortion ban while also obstructing the ban’s repeal. “We do not want to repeal the pre-law without first having a conversation about it,” state Rep. Teresa Martinez said on the House floor on Wednesday, according to HuffPost. “There is no reason to rush on this very important topic. We must listen to all viewpoints thoroughly.
Because abortion bans—especially bans that predate Arizona’s status as a state and were established during slavery—are incredibly unpopular, Arizona Republicansto Axios, state House Speaker Ben Toma supports the 1864 law and has no plans to allow Democrats to bring forth a vote for its repeal, owing to his competitive primary in a heavily Republican district.
In a statement shared with Jezebel, Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Co-Chair Sen. Priya Sundareshan said she’s “disgusted by the actions” of her Republican peers, accusing them of “lying about their stance on this issue so important to Arizonans.
While the Civil War-era abortion ban highlights the urgent importance of the upcoming election, the reality is that pregnant people in Arizona can’t wait until November. Seven months is too long to endure life under a 19th-century law that predates women’s suffrage and abolition.