Hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals gathered around the Arizona State Capitol on Friday to advocate for the protection of unborn children.
Expressing her personal experience, anti-abortion advocate Judith Villegas shared, “I’m here because I actually had two abortions a few years back, and I know firsthand what that does to you, not just physically but mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.”
The future of abortion legislation in Arizona hangs in uncertainty. Presently, abortions are permissible up to 15 weeks. However, the Arizona State Supreme Court is deliberating on whether a near-total abortion prohibition predating Arizona statehood would supersede the 15-week restriction signed by Governor Doug Ducey.
The court’s decision is pending, with no specified timeline for a potential ruling as confirmed by a spokesperson from ABC15.
Chris Love, a representative from Arizona for Abortion Access, voiced concerns, stating, “We know that they won’t stop at abortion. They will stop at nothing to attack our reproductive freedom here in the state.”
Recent developments in the U.S. abortion debate include a contentious ruling by Alabama’s highest court recognizing frozen embryos as children.
Villegas emphasized the sanctity of life post-conception, asserting, “There’s life after conception… You are shutting down a life. As soon as the baby is conceived, there’s a baby.”
In a separate development, major retail pharmacies may soon distribute the abortion pill mifepristone after receiving certification, applicable in states where the prescription is lawful, including Arizona. However, accessibility could be subject to change based on an upcoming Supreme Court ruling this summer.
Furthermore, abortion-rights proponents in Arizona are striving to place the issue on the November ballot. The Arizona for Abortion Access organization has collected over 250,000 signatures as of January, aiming for approximately 384,000 valid signatures by July to qualify.
Love expressed confidence in meeting the signature target, stating, “The fact that we reached that 250,000 signature goal so early just shows that Arizona voters, Arizonans are really excited to get this on the ballot.”
Angela Florez, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona, conveyed the organization’s stance to ABC15, emphasizing the importance of individual autonomy in healthcare decisions and the ongoing battle to safeguard abortion access.
Florez stated, _“All Arizonans deserve the freedom to make their own choices about their bodies, their families, and their futures – hard stop. The truth of the matter is individuals’ personal ideology and out-of-touch, extremist views should not be dictating Arizonans’ bodily autonomy and access to basic health care. Planned Parenthood Arizona will always fight for individuals to be empowered to make the health care decisions that are right for them and allow them to live healthy lives. And we will continue to fight back against attempts to roll back our rights, which includes using every avenue we can to safeguard abortion access. The fight is far from over, and we will not stop until we secure reproductive freedom for all Arizonans.”