Arizona House Votes to Repeal 1864 Abortion Ban, Sending Bill to State Senate

The Arizona House of Representatives approved a bill to remove the state’s strict abortion prohibition on April 24. The vote comes two weeks after a judge ruled that the state could enforce the 1864 legislation which contains only an exemption for cases where the mother’s life is in danger. The day of the vote, three Republicans joined all 29 Democrats in repealing a law that does not include any exceptions for rape or incest and was passed before Arizona became a state. The Republicans in the battleground state House were under increasing pressure for weeks leading up to the vote. President Joe Biden has made his support for abortion central in his reelection campaign, and each time Republicans have leaned on checks and balances to defeat prior repeal efforts, the president has weighed in to support repealing the law....