The Arizona Supreme Court decision Tuesday that an 1864 law that makes abortion illegal in all cases except when a mother’s life is in danger resulted in swift and strong reactions on social media from political leaders across the state.
In fact, minutes after the ruling, Vice President Kamala Harris announced a trip to Tucson Friday to discuss the the ruling.
The ruling will affect women before they may even know they are pregnant, and threaten prison time for nurses and doctors, Harris said in a statement.
“All of this by reviving a law that was passed in the 1800s, before women could vote,” said Harris in her official statement posted on X Tuesday. “To stop bans like this, we need a United States Congress that will restore the protections of Roe v. Wade. Always remember: it does not have to be this way.”
President Biden also issued a statement: “All across the country, women are being turned away from emergency rooms or being forced to travel hundreds of miles or ask a judge just to get the basic care they badly need.”
“Donald Trump is the reason Roe was ended,” Biden said.
Here’s how local and state leaders reacted:
Gov. Katie Hobbs
“I am reeling from the Supreme Court’s callous decision. I have personally experienced the anguish of losing a pregnancy, and it’s outrageous to have the government tell you that the best decision for your health could now be considered a crime,” said Gov. Katie Hobbs while addressing the audience on her X account. “Today seems like a dark day, but I want to make it clear that my executive order protecting women and doctors from prosecution by extremist county attorneys still stands. I refuse to let radical extremists take control of our bodies.”
“Today’s decision to reimpose a law from a time when Arizona wasn’t a state, the Civil War was raging and women couldn’t even vote will go down in history as a stain on our state,” said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes on X. “Let me be completely clear, as long as I am Attorney General, no woman or doctor will be prosecuted under this draconian law in this state.”
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero called the decision “devastating” during a news conference downtown soon after the ruling. It is “unbelievable that the rights we hold here in Arizona to have access to abortion, are different than women 500 miles away in the same country,” Romero said.
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover is joined by other local leaders in reacting to an Arizona Supreme Court ruling Tuesday that says a near total abortion ban that dates back to the 1800s is the law in the state.
“It is frankly appalling to stand here in front of a historic courthouse that goes back to territorial days. And how ironic that we would be here now, with the state of Arizona Supreme Court suggesting that we go back to a near-total ban,” said Pima County Attorney Laura Conover. “I want to make this extremely clear to the community, we are here for you and you are safe here.”
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., speaks to media on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
“The Arizona Supreme Court just set reproductive rights in our state back by two centuries, and now Arizona women will lose the right to an abortion,” said U.S. Senator Mark Kelly on X.
Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.
“A woman’s health care choices should be between her, her family and her doctor,” Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said on X. “Arizonans should not be forced to travel out of state just to receive basic, sometimes even life-saving, healthcare. Doctors and hospitals should not be punished for providing health care to their patients.”
“In the last century, we have achieved women’s suffrage, passed historic civil rights legislation and achieved historic victories in the fight for equality,” said Arizona Sen. Priya Sundareshan. “We have moved the needle forward for progress, but this court’s decision ensures that half of Arizonans are relegated as second-class citizens, without the personal autonomy to make their own medical decisions.”
“Please show up to vote as your life depends on it, because it clearly does, unlike every other election,” Rep. Alma Hernandez said on X. “We will not go back to the 1800s. We will win come November.”
“Abortion is essential health care, period,” said Adelita Grijalva, chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, according to a story in the Tucson Sentinel. “When it’s denied, people die. Abortion bans do not stop abortions from happening, it just makes it so our most vulnerable communities and communities of color face harsher consequences and are criminalized in efforts to receive an abortion.”
“I call for the Arizona legislature to permanently codify and safeguard the right to access affordable, comprehensive abortion care, and contraceptives for Arizonans without delay,” said Rep. Raúl Grijalva on X.
“In Arizona, our 15-week law protected the rights of women and new life. It respected women and the difficult decision of ending a pregnancy — one I will never personally experience and won’t pretend to understand,” said Rep. Juan Ciscomani on X. “The territorial law is archaic. We must do better for women and I call on our state policymakers to immediately address this in a bipartisan manner.”
“Today’s ruling is devastating news for Arizona women, whose rights have been set back 160 years,” said Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is running for US Senate, on X.
“This issue should be decided by Arizonans, not legislated from the bench,” said U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, an Arizona Republican who previously praised the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“Under this extreme law, women will die and their doctors and nurses will be criminalized,” said Rep. Greg Stanton X. “The stakes this November couldn’t be higher.”
