Arizona House votes in favor of repealing abortion law

The Arizona House of Representatives voted 32-28 in favor of repealing a law that prohibits performing abortions except in cases where the mother’s life is in peril.

The Arizona Supreme Court issued a decision this month that would allow for the law to be enforced, but the state attorney general, who is a Democrat, has claimed that the earliest it could be enforced would be June 8.

Three state House Republicans joined Democrats in voting to repeal the law, reports indicate.

The law reads, “A person who provides, supplies or administers to a pregnant woman, or procures such woman to take any medicine, drugs or substance, or uses or employs any instrument or other means whatever, with intent thereby to procure the miscarriage of such woman, unless it is necessary to save her life, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than two years nor more than five years.”

State Rep. Tim Dunn, one of the Republicans who voted with Democrats in favor of repeal, claimed in a statement that he is “deeply pro-life.”

“The recent decision by the Arizona Suprme Court has upheld a law first created in 1864. This law is not perfect. Unfortunately, protecting women in life-threatening situations and accounting for cases of rape and incest were not considered at the time of its passing,” Dunn claimed.

“Should the pre-Roe law remain in effect, I firmly believe more lives will be lost over time. The public backlash would result in codifying disturbing and unlimited abortions in the Arizona Constitution, which is something that I cannot allow to happen. Make no mistake, my vote today is the most pro-life vote I can possibly make, at a time when my colleagues and I are placed in a position to make such a difficult judgment call,” Dunn said in the statement.

State Rep. Matt Gress, who was one of the other Republicans who voted to repeal the law, also issued a statement in which he described himself as “Pro-Life.”

Republican state Rep. Justin Wilmeth also voted in favor of repealing the law.

“I’m thrilled the House has finally decided to do the right thing and repeal the archaic 1864 near-total abortion ban, which would have jailed doctors & threatened women’s lives. It’s time for the Senate to follow suit and send the repeal to my desk. Immediately,” Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said in a post on X.