Ahead of what would have been Roe v Wade's 50th anniversary, Planned Parenthood and the White House are calling for action from Arizona leaders.
Meanwhile, anti-abortion advocates are calling the post-Roe abortion landscape in the state a step in the right direction.
Brittany Fonteno, the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Arizona, made it clear they won’t stop pushing until they get the change they seek.
“Our fight isn’t over. In fact, it’s just the beginning,” said Fonteno.
Additionally, Planned Parenthood is calling on Governor Hobbs to issue several executive orders to ensure more reproductive rights for Arizona.
This is what Planned Parenthood says it will to present to Governor Hobbs:
- Providing a multilingual education website and hotline that provides “know your rights” guidance and referrals for Arizonans seeking abortions, patients seeking to travel to Arizona for an abortion, patients seeking to leave Arizona to obtain an abortion, and people and organizations providing support to patients and health care providers.
- Issuing an Executive Order requiring the state and its contractors to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers
- Issuing an Executive Order that provides civil and criminal protections for patients seeking abortion care, people who assist with the provision of abortion care, and medical personnel who provide abortion care.
- Prohibit state funding for anti-abortion centers, or crisis pregnancy centers, which engage in deceptive practices to deny patients their full range of legal and reproductive health options
“Additionally, we expect that the Governor will keep her promise to veto all legislation that imposes further restrictions on access to reproductive health care, including abortion, in Arizona,” said Fonteno.
Fonteno says it was a bittersweet victory when the state announced abortion is legal in Arizona through 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Though she says there's still a long way to go.
“Rather than harmful abortion bans that alter the course of our lives. Our laws should be grounded in equity and justice. Ensuring that all people have access to the sexual and reproductive health care they need,” she said.
Lori Zee Gray, an anti-abortion advocate who recently attended the 50th annual March for Life rally in Washington D.C., says life should be protected.
"It's an exciting time for those of us who believe in the protection of life, that on the 50th anniversary of Roe v Wade, it has been overturned," Gray told ABC15.
Adding she feels there are always alternatives.
"I have been and still am a huge advocate of making sure that women have options because women do deserve better than only having one option. And we want to make sure we save mothers and save babies," Gray added.
White House Deputy Press Secretary, Olivia Dalton, tells ABC15 the President and Vice President are in agreement that they want to codify Roe into law.
“The President and Vice President have made very clear that they’re doing everything in their power to protect and expand access. But really, at the end of the day what needs to happen is we need to see legislation codifying Roe in Congress and absent that, we will not see the void left in the Dobbs decision filled.”
