Spotlight Falls On All-Male Lawyers As Arizona High Court Considers Abortion

Arizona Republic: Arizona’s Supreme Court Is Considering Abortion Law. Lawyers Arguing The Case Are All Men
For an hour Tuesday, six justices of the Arizona Supreme Court questioned attorneys in a high-profile case that could either protect, or effectively erase, a woman's right to obtain an abortion in the state. Four lawyers argued two sides of the case. All were men. It was a noticeable approach in a consequential case when the broader policy discussion about abortion often focuses on the rights of women to make their own healthcare decisions. Supporters of abortion access argue the government has no role in such choices, and the decision should be between a woman and her doctor. (Barchenger, 12/12)

Abortion news from New Mexico and New Hampshire —

AP: New Mexico Supreme Court Weighs Whether To Strike Down Local Abortion Restrictions 
The New Mexico Supreme Court is weighing whether to strike down local abortion restrictions by conservative cities and counties at the request of the attorney general for the state where abortion laws are among the most liberal in the country. Oral arguments were scheduled for Wednesday in Santa Fe. At least four state supreme courts are grappling with abortion litigation this week in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year to rescind the constitutional right to abortion. (Lee, 12/13)

New Hampshire Public Radio: NH Lawmakers Will Consider Proposals To Protect, Restrict Abortion Rights In 2024
New Hampshire lawmakers will again consider competing proposals to either protect or restrict abortion rights next year. This will be the second legislative session since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending protections for abortion under the federal constitution. Earlier this year, a series of abortion-related bills – some expanding access, others limiting it – failed in the Republican-controlled legislature. On Monday, Democratic lawmakers announced a push to amend the state constitution to protect abortion rights. (Cuno-Booth, 12/12)

From Kentucky and Texas —

Reuters: Lawyers Challenging Kentucky Abortion Ban Call For More Plaintiffs 
A Kentucky woman who filed a class action last week challenging the state's near-total ban on abortion is no longer pregnant, her lawyers said Tuesday, calling for more plaintiffs to carry the case forward. Lawyers for the woman at Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said in a statement that the woman learned her embryo no longer had cardiac activity after she filed the lawsuit on Friday. (Pierson, 12/12)

The Texas Tribune: Amarillo City Council Could Be Next Texas City To Ban Travel For Abortion
Near the tip of the top of the state, Amarillo is far from the Capitol in Austin, Dallas’ busy downtown, and Houston’s congested highways. The “floating” city in the Panhandle is often forgotten by much of the state, residents say. Most of the country has never heard of their home. That changed when the Amarillo City Council took up a proposed abortion travel ban in October. The debate put an unfamiliar spotlight on the city — activists flocked to Amarillo, national organizations joined local efforts, and council members' phones rang off the hook. (Carver, 12/13)

AP: A Texas Woman Sought An Abortion. A Court Said No Because She Didn't Show Her Life Was In Danger
Kate Cox, whose fetus had a fatal condition, did not qualify for an abortion in Texas: not after four emergency room visits, elevated vital signs, risks of a uterine rupture and with her ability to have more children in jeopardy. The Texas Supreme Court’s rejection of the mother of two’s request for an exception under the state’s restrictive ban has laid bare the high threshold women in many states must meet to get the procedure: pregnancy complications that pose life-threatening danger to the mother. (Weber and Stengle, 12/12)