Arizona House votes to repeal Civil War-era abortion ban revived by state Supreme Court

Arizona state lawmakers voted Wednesday, April 24, to repeal a law from 1864 that almost completely bans abortion, with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest. This comes after the Arizona Supreme Court recently supported the Civil War-era statute over a more recent 15-week abortion limit.

“I’ve known for a while that the votes were there, it just takes a lot of fortitude, a lot of spine,” Democratic State Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, who sponsored the bill, told ABC News’ Jaclyn Lee.

Hamilton emphasized the global attention on Arizona’s decision, stating, “The eyes of the world were watching Arizona, and that’s not hyperbole.”

The state House approved the repeal with a 32-28 vote, with 3 Republicans siding with Democrats. The legislation now moves to the state Senate, where Republicans have a slight majority.

The legislation could be taken up by the state Senate by the week if April 29. If the Senate approves the repeal, Gov. Katie Hobbs, D, said she would sign it into law. The repeal of the abortion ban would take effect 90 days after the legislative session ends, which is required to be before June 30.

The Arizona for Abortion Access campaign is aiming to place a constitutional amendment on the state ballot to secure abortion access. Democrats anticipate that this move could increase voter enthusiasm and turnout, drawing on the success of abortion access issues in elections since the nationwide protections of Roe v. Wade were overturned in 2022. The campaign has reported collecting over 500,000 signatures, exceeding the required number to qualify for the ballot.