Democratic candidate for Arizona governor Katie Hobbs and attorney general candidate Kris Mayes say they are outraged that women no longer have the right to choose.
The two held a joint press conference Saturday morning, speaking out about their disapproval of the ruling a Pima County judge handed down Friday afternoon.
The judge lifted the injunction on an Arizona territorial law putting a near-total ban on abortion. The law says abortion is illegal in all cases, unless the mother’s life is in danger. The law was enacted years before Arizona’s statehood.
“This cruel law is about controlling women by attempting to control our bodies and our lives. This outrageous law represents a clear violation of the rights of women in our state. Even worse, it will put the health of women at risk in a way we have not seen in my lifetime. Women and girls will die because of it,” Mayes said.
Mayes and Hobbs vow they will fight to appeal the law on their first day in office, if they are elected. Mayes says she has a 12-point plan to protect reproductive rights while Hobbs says she will call a special legislative session to overturn the “draconian law."
“Women rights are not a bargaining chip. My focus on day one would be to repeal this 1901 law. If we can’t do that in the legislature, we’re going to go to the ballot box to do it,” Hobbs said.
The territorial law, as it stands, does not allow exceptions for rape and incest.
In an interview with Fox News Saturday morning, Attorney General Mark Brnovich said his job is to enforce the law.
“Me personally, I’ve said before, that I think there should be exceptions for rape and incest, but that’s what the law is,” he said in the interview.
Governor Doug Ducey’s office sent a statement Friday following the judge’s decision, though it doesn’t specifically address the near-total abortion ban.
“Governor Ducey was proud to sign the 15-week ban, which goes into effect today. Arizona remains one of the most pro-life states in the country.”
There is confusion right now, about which law takes precedent. Governor Doug Ducey signed a 15-week abortion ban in March. That law was set to take effect on Saturday, but then the judge’s decision came down Friday.
“You have this law from 1977, you have a law that was passed this year that says there’s a complete ban and that’s what the judge said is indeed the law in Arizona,” Brnovich said in the Fox News interview.
ABC15 reached out multiple times to Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh regarding their thoughts on the ruling. ABC15 has still not received a response and neither have posted about the ruling on their social media, though Lake has posted other issues on social media, and Hamadeh has retweeted several posts since the ruling came down.
