The states court ruling reaching back to a Civil War era abortion ban has put a spotlight on the state that lawmakers have chaffed under…
Absolute abortion bans across the state have enraged voters , who have come out and voted against in every state voter referendum on the policy….
The Arizona House on Wednesday passed legislation that would repeal the state’s 1864 near-total abortion ban, as several Republicans joined with all the chamber’s Democrats.
It was the third repeal attempt in as many weeks. The previous tries were thwarted when Republicans blocked the bill from coming to the floor.
But this time, the bill passed 32-28. Republican state Reps. Tim Dunn (R) and Justin Wilmeth (R) joined state Rep. Matt Gress (R) and all Democrats to bypass state Speaker Ben Toma (R) and the rest of the GOP caucus.
Last week, Gress was the only Republican who joined House Democrats in their effort to repeal the abortion ban. Democrats needed at least two Republicans to cross party lines.
The measure now heads to the Senate, where it needs votes from at least two Republicans to pass. But the Senate already has begun moving forward on its identical version of the House repeal bill, suggesting it could pass as soon as the chamber meets next week.
If the bill passes, it would be sent to Gov. Katie Hobbs (D), who has called on the Legislature to repeal the law. …