Arizona Supreme Court rejects bid to block abortion referendum from November ballot.
Anti-abortion group Arizona Right to Life filed a complaint against the ballot initiative, citing disappointment with the 200-word summary used to gather signatures, and arguing that the general public was misled about the scope of the amendment.
In a recent decision, the court ruled that the amendment’s description “is not required to explain the Initiative’s influence on existing abortion laws and regulations.”
The court further stated: “A reasonable individual would understand that regulations that fail the prescribed tests would be declared invalid rather than remaining in effect.”
Last week, the Arizona Abortion Access Act received 577,971 valid signatures and will be on the ballot as Proposition 139, the Arizona Secretary of State’s office announced. The initiative required 383,923 signatures to qualify for the ballot.
The proposed amendment seeks to entrench the right to abortion in the state constitution up to the point of fetal viability, which medical professionals estimate occurs between the 22nd and 24th weeks of pregnancy.
The Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the proposed amendment to be included in the 2024 election information brochure and on the November ballot.
Earlier this year, the Arizona Legislature voted to dismantle the state’s long-standing, near-total abortion ban, following the state Supreme Court’s reinstatement of the law and the subsequent focus on reproductive rights in politics. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs promptly signed the repeal bill.
Arizona currently has a 15-week limit on abortions. This 2022 regulation does not include exceptions for rape and incest.
CNN’s Rashard Rose contributed to this report.
Despite the court’s decision not to elaborate on the initiative’s impact on existing abortion laws, the political landscape in Arizona remains heated with the ongoing debate surrounding abortion rights. The Arizona Right to Life group’s frustration with the ballot initiative’s summary has sparked renewed discussions in the realm of politics.