Swing-State Dems Launch Bid To Enshrine Abortion In State Constitution
Kate Anderson on August 8, 2023
Abortion activists are set to file paperwork for a constitutional amendment in Arizona Tuesday to ensure abortion access is protected in the state, according to The Washington Post.
Arizona for Abortion Access, a political action committee, is sending the legislation to Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to try and get the amendment on the ballot for the upcoming November 2024 election, according to the Post. The initiative is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, NARAL Arizona, Affirm Sexual and Reproductive Health, Arizona List and Healthcare Rising Arizona.
Jodi Liggett, a senior adviser for NARAL Arizona, told the Post that they are confident that Arizona voters will back them up.
“We know that there is support for that because candidates have organized their own political campaigns in the past on this and won, so we know that people will vote for the issue itself,” Liggett said.
Arizona banned abortion after 15 weeks, with limited exceptions, following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. If the amendment were passed, however, the practice would be allowed up until birth if a doctor deems it necessary to protect the physical or mental health of the mother, according to the Post.
In order to get the legislation on the ballot, supporters will have to garner 389,923 signatures before July 3, 2024, according to the Post. Chris Love, a senior adviser for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, said in a statement to the Post that they planned to begin canvassing as early as September and hoped to have half a million signatures by the deadline.
Voters in Ohio will also be weighing in on an abortion amendment in November that allows abortion past viability if a physician determines it is necessary. In response, the Ohio GOP called for a special election taking place Tuesday to vote on Issue 1, which would raise the requirements necessary to pass a constitutional amendment in the state.
If passed, the amendment will require 60% of Ohio voters to support the legislation, instead of a simple majority, according to the the proposed changes. Issue 1 also requires that every county in the state must have at least 5% in support of the amendment and waives the 10 day grace period for gathering new signatures after the hard deadline.
Fontes did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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