An Arizona judge this week will issue a decision on whether a restrictive abortion law in the state that dates back to 1901 can be enforced following the Supreme Court's decision on Roe v. Wade.
Arizona lawmakers previously passed a law that would outlaw abortion after 15 weeks, but conservatives added a section stating that the bill would not override a 1901 law that prohibits abortions unless "it is necessary to save (the mother's) life." This law was blocked by a court injunction after the initial Roe v. Wade ruling, but Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in June, after the court overturned Roe v. Wade, that he would move to enforce the 1901 law by asking the Pima County Superior Court to lift the injunction.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America pushed back against Brnovich's request, saying in a court filing that healthcare "providers in Arizona have been left to navigate inconsistent statements by elected officials about the status of the law" and claimed that the attorney general was "blatantly ignoring that Arizona's statutory code today includes dozens of laws that plainly permit physicians to provide abortions."
Brittany Fonteno, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona, told CNN that "There are many laws that the state legislature has passed over the past 50 years that clearly regulate abortion as a safe and legal medical procedure that can be performed by a licensed physician. The Attorney General doesn't get to cherry pick one particular law and ignore all of the other laws that are on the books."
CNN notes that Brnovich's office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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