Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hobbs Slams Lawmakers' Reactions To Ban, Is 'Confident' Voters Will Have Say
The Hill: Arizona Governor Slams GOP Lawmakers Who Criticized New Abortion Ruling
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) took aim at GOP lawmakers who criticized a court ruling Tuesday that held up an 1864 law that made performing an abortion a felony in the state. Hobbs said in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper that the decision was “very harmful” for the state, noting that Arizonians are “reeling” from the ruling issued earlier today. She said she called on the legislature to repeal the “archaic ban” as soon as she took office. “I renewed that call at the beginning of this legislative session,” Hobbs continued. “The fact is that some of the Republicans right now, who are saying that this decision went too far, are the same politicians who celebrated the Dobbs decision, which paved the way for this court ruling today.” (Sforza, 4/9)
The Guardian: Arizona Republicans Denounce Revived 1864 Abortion Ban In Sudden Reversal
Hours after Arizona’s supreme court declared on Tuesday that a 160-year-old abortion ban is now enforceable, Republicans in the state took a surprising stance for a party that has historically championed abortion restrictions – they denounced the decision. “This decision cannot stand,” said Matt Gress, a Republican state representative. “I categorically reject rolling back the clock to a time when slavery was still legal and we could lock up women and doctors because of an abortion.” (Sherman and Gambino, 4/10)
The Hill: Arizona Governor ‘Confident’ Voters Will Have Chance To Enshrine Abortion Rights In November
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) said Tuesday that she’s confident voters will have the opportunity to enshrine abortion rights in November and reverse a decision from the state’s Supreme Court that makes virtually all abortions in the state illegal. ... Hobbs said efforts to enshrine abortion access in the state have already surpassed the number of signatures to have ballot access in this year’s election and still have more months to gain support. (Irwin, 4/9)
The New York Times: Biden Condemns Arizona’s Abortion Ban as ‘Cruel’ and ‘Extreme’
President Biden condemned a decision by Arizona’s Supreme Court on Tuesday to uphold an 1864 ban on nearly all abortions as “cruel” and “extreme,” saying the law was first enacted well before women even had the right to vote. In a statement released within an hour of the decision, Mr. Biden called the ruling an “extreme agenda of Republican elected officials” and promised to continue the fight for reproductive rights and a restoration of Roe v. Wade, which had protected the right of women to have abortions for nearly a half century. (Kavi, 4/9)
San Francisco Chronicle: Arizona Abortion Ban Will Drive More Patients To California
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California is expecting a “marked increase in patients from Arizona at our health care centers in California,” Jodi Hicks, the group’s CEO, said in a statement to the Chronicle. “We’ve been generally preparing over the last several years for more and more out-of-state patients through strategic investments and statewide efforts to move forward policy solutions to support abortion access,” she said. (Stein, 4/9)
