Arizona House Approves 15-Week Abortion Ban Bill

PHOENIX, AZ — The Arizona House of Representatives on Thursday approved a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of gestation. The bill passed the house 31-26, with the vote along party lines.

If Gov. Doug Ducey signs the bill into law, it would ban all abortions after 15 weeks of gestation, except in the case of a medical emergency.

Ducey is adamantly anti-abortion and has signed all anti-abortion laws presented to him since he took office.

The Arizona law mirrors a Mississippi law now under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sen. Nancy Barto, the Republican sponsor of the bill, has said she hopes the high court upholds the Mississippi's law.

“The state has an obligation to protect life, and that is what this bill is about,” she said during Senate debate last month.

Arizona specifically says that it does not replace a state law in place for more than 100 years that make all abortions illegal if the Supreme Court overrules Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that made the right to abortion the law.

Arizona's abortion ban bill contains no exceptions for rape, incest or for medical emergencies.

"The continued attacks on women's rights by the AZ GOP are sickening," U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva said via Twitter. "The U.S. Senate must pass the #WomensHealthProtectionAct to protect abortion rights and guarantee that women can make their own health care decisions."

Grijalva, a Democrat, represents Arizona's Third District, which covers most of southern Arizona.

Teresa Martinez, Republican Arizona State Representative for District 11, tweeted a photo of her "yes" vote on the bill.

"My vote on supporting the Pro Life movement!!!" Martinez captioned the photo. "Protecting life!"

Arizona's District 11 covers an area between Phoenix and Tucson, that includes Maricopa and Marana.

As is the case in most abortion debates, arguments came down to the rights of the woman versus the rights of the fetus.

"Arizona can and will do better than this," U.S. Rep. for Arizona Sarah Liguori tweeted. "The health and safety of our friends, sisters, aunts, and mothers depends on it."

The Arizona bill would make it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion after 15 weeks but would prohibit the prosecution of pregnant people for receiving one. Doctors could face felony charges and lose their license to practice medicine. There is an exception for cases when the mother is at risk of death or serious permanent injury, but not for instances of rape or incest.

Of the 13,186 abortions performed in Arizona in 2020, 636 were after 15 weeks of pregnancy, according to the latest data from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.