Arizona lawmakers repeal 1864 abortion ban
- 2 Republican state senators crossed party lines in the 16-14 vote, with Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs expected to swiftly sign the repeal
- Arizona is a key battleground state, and abortion is expected to be a central issue in the 2024 US presidential election
The Arizona Senate voted on Wednesday to repeal the state’s 1864 ban on abortion which could have gone into effect within weeks if not struck down.
The repeal was passed by the Senate in a 16-14 vote and is expected to be quickly signed by Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat. Two Republican senators crossed party lines to vote in favour of repealing the ban.
The Arizona House last week passed the measure after a handful of Republicans broke party ranks and voted with Democrats to send it to the Senate.
“We’re here to repeal a bad law,” Senator Eva Burch, a Democrat, said from the floor, explaining her vote to repeal the old law. “I don’t want us honouring laws about women, written during a time when women were forbidden from voting.”
Republican Senator Wendy Rogers, who voted to maintain the 1864 ban, said in casting her vote that repealing the law went against the conservative values of Arizona.
