Harris To Visit Arizona Today; Ex-Gov. Ducey Says Court Overstepped
Excerpts of her speech showed that Vice President Kamala Harris will warn voters that giving Donald Trump another term would only mean "more suffering." And former GOP Gov. Doug Ducey, who expanded the court in 2016, said on X that the ruling was “not the outcome I would have preferred.”
The Hill:
Harris To Warn In Arizona After Abortion Ruling A Second Trump Term Would Mean ‘More Bans, More Suffering’
Vice President Harris will rally supporters in Arizona on Friday, where outrage is brewing among Democrats over a court ruling that upheld an 1864 law and made performing abortion a felony. Harris will take direct aim at former President Trump in her remarks, according to excerpts shared by the Biden campaign. The vice president will say Trump “is to blame” for the wave of restrictions on abortion following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and she will warn a second Trump term would mean more restrictions. (Samuels, 4/12)
AP:
Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey Says The Abortion Ruling From Justices He Chose Goes Too Far
A ban on nearly all abortions in Arizona doesn’t sit well with the Republican former governor whose expansion of the state Supreme Court allowed him to appoint the four conservative justices whose ruling cleared the way for it. Doug Ducey is among Republicans in several states who are wrestling with the consequences of their opposition to abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. He expanded the state court in 2016, but thinks its ruling this week went too far. (Gruver, 4/11)
CBS News:
Arizona Supreme Court's Abortion Ruling Sparks Fear, Uncertainty
Camelback Family Planning in Phoenix is the busiest abortion clinic in Arizona, according to its founder Dr. Gabrielle Goodrick, seeing some 350 patients a month. But following the Arizona Supreme Court ruling Tuesday that clears the way to reinstate an 1864 law that would ban nearly all abortions, Goodrick says she's worried about what could happen. (Shamlian, 4/11)
NBC News:
Arizona’s 1864 Abortion Ban Was Mostly A Result Of Power Struggles, Historians Say
Attempts to gain power mostly fueled Arizona’s near-total abortion ban in 1864, as male physicians sought to dominate health care over midwives and anti-abortion advocates felt threatened by immigrants, historians said. ... Back then, midwives predominantly performed abortions, using herbs or metal instruments, which caused resentment among male physicians, said Karissa Haugeberg, who teaches history at Tulane University in Louisiana. “Physicians marked midwives as competitors,” Haugeberg said. So they began campaigning to be the authorities on reproductive rights and health care. (Chan, 4/11)
KFF Health News:
KFF Health News' 'What The Health?': Arizona Turns Back The Clock On Abortion Access
The Arizona Supreme Court shook up the national abortion debate this week, ruling that a ban originally passed in 1864 — before the end of the Civil War and decades before Arizona became a state — could be enforced. As in some other states, including Florida, voters will likely have the chance to decide whether to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution in November. (4/11)
Also —
The 19th:
States That Restrict Divorce During Pregnancy Also Have Abortion Bans
Four states restrict divorce during pregnancy, and, with a decision by the Arizona Supreme Court this week, now all four also have near-total bans on abortion. It’s a combination that can be fatal, say experts on domestic violence. (Gerson, 4/11)
NPR:
How The Comstock Act Could Be Used To Ban Abortion Nationwide
According to legal experts, the Comstock Act could be used to stop virtually all abortion in the country, including in places it is currently legal. ... Here's what you need to know about the Comstock Act, and what the consequences would be if it is enforced the way some conservatives would like. (Kurtzleben, 4/10)
