In a stinging defeat for the foes of majority rule and reproductive freedom, the people of Ohio said NO to Issue One which would have required amendments to the State Constitution to be secured with 60 percent of the electorate’s approval.
If that measure had passed, it may have been more difficult to enshrine an amendment this November into the Ohio Constitution that would have memorialized the right to reproductive choice.
With the victory in Ohio, now it is Arizona’s turn.
On Tuesday, reproductive freedom groups in the Grand Canyon State including Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union under the umbrella name of Arizona for Abortion Access announced their intention to gather the required signatures to qualify for a 2024 ballot inititaive that would:
- Increase the time to obtain an abortion from 15 weeks to 22 to 24.
- Allow late-term abortions to protect the physical and mental life of the mother.
Commenting on the new initiative, Candace Lew, the Chairwoman for Arizona for Abortion Access, stated:
“Since the fall of Roe, we have seen our communities come together as a multigenerational and multiracial movement for reproductive freedom to fight for Arizonans’ fundamental rights, and this ballot initiative will continue to build on this momentum. Thousands of Arizonans will power this grassroots effort to not only pose this question to voters, but ensure it passes next November.”
In a press release from her campaign site, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs offered:
“I’m thrilled that Arizonans are going to have the opportunity to make their voices heard next November, and I’m confident they will support a constitutional right to abortion.
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, Arizonans have been living with confusion and uncertainty over which abortion ban is in effect. We’re just one bad court decision away from a total abortion ban that carries prison time for doctors.
I’ve been a lifelong advocate for Arizonans’ reproductive freedom, and I’ve repeatedly said that I do not believe the government or politicians should be in the business of making personal healthcare decisions. I’m confident that Arizonans will vote for reproductive freedom next November, and I am grateful to all of the individuals and organizations who came together to make this happen.”
It is thought that such a ballot initiative would benefit Democratic candidates on the 2024 ticket more because the sensitive issue frames what is at stake if White Nationalist-Reactionary-Science Denying-Fringe MAGA Republicans, like those in states like Ohio, Alabama, and Florida continue in their drive to take away reproductive freedom, make voting more difficult, overrule the choice of the people, and ignore court rulings that moved against them.
Because of that, the prime movers behind this initiative should gather twice the signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot because of the inevitable challenges that will follow. They should also make sure their writing of the petition is full proof and there is nothing in current legislative code that could upstruck this because of the likely court challenges there. Those who remember what the Arizona Supreme Court did with Invest in Ed after voters approved it will know what that means.
Arizona Legislative Democrats are already alerting the people of what Republicans and their allies will attempt to do, issuing the below posts on social media.
The battle to save Democracy and Freedom continues.
Do not forget the cause.
Vote in 2023, 2024, and every election afterward.