Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is once again showing MAGA-Reactionary-Big Lie Subscribing-Anti Gun Safety, and Anti Reproductive Freedom Republican legislators that there is a new leader at the helm of the Grand Canyon State.
In a series of vetoes yesterday (April 6, 2023,) the Governor stopped Republican efforts to restrict regulations of gun shows, compromise the early voting system, and interfere in the private relationship between a paitent and a doctor with regards to reproductive freedom.
It is the veto of SB1600, the legislation that would have required physicans and medical facilities to report, for lack of a better term, census, of abortion procedures performed, the circumstances involved in deciding to undertake the procedure, measures taken during the operation, actions to take if a child intending to be aborted is born alive, and potential felony criminal sanctions if health care professionals including doctors and nurses do not comply with the provisons of the bill.
In her letter explaining her veto, Governor Hobbs wrote:
“This bill is uniformly opposed by the medical community, and interferes with the relationship between a paitent and doctor. It is simply not the state’s role to make such difficult medical decisions for paitents. As a candidate, I promised to veto any bill that interferes with the reproductive rights of Arizonans. As Governor, I intend to make good on that promise.”
Democrats at the Arizona State Legislature released a joint House and Senate statement supporting the Hobbs veto.
Democratic Senate Leader Mitzi Epstein wrote:
“This is not about abortion. Arizona’s abortion ban at 15-weeks gestation is in effect. Senate Bill 1600 is a cruel attempt to interfere with evidence-based medical decision-making between patients and their physicians in often tragic and unexpected situations. Thank you, Governor Hobbs, for understanding that this bill is inaccurate, disingenuous, and offensive to pregnant people and the medical professionals who provide their care.”
Democratic Senate Whip and Medical Care Professional Eva Burch relayed:
“This bill specifically requires intervention on a non-viable fetus. Not only is it cruel to perform potentially painful procedures when there is no hope of success, but the bill has opposition from neonatologists, maternal-fetal medicine physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The government should not be forcing futile medical intervention upon grieving families, while threatening medical providers with criminal prosecution for doing what’s right for their patients. The inclusion of abortion clinics in the bill language confirms that this legislation is intended to target pre-viable fetuses, since no abortion clinic in the state performs procedures beyond 15 weeks gestation. Nobody is protected or supported by these kinds of measures.”
Democratic House Representative Athena Salman stated:
“As a mother and expectant mother, this is personal for me.Decisions regarding my pregnancy are between me and my physician, not extremists intent on spreading medical disinformation to incite emotions. Thank you, Governor Hobbs, for your unwavering commitment to defend the autonomy and rights of pregnant people by vetoing this offensive bill.”
House Democratic Leader Andres Cano offered:
“Doctors are already required to provide appropriate medical care by law, and Governor Hobbs followed their lead by vetoing Senate Bill 1600. These incredibly difficult decisions can and should be made by doctors in consultation with patients—not politicians.”
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