Arizona lawmakers voted to repeal a near-total ban on abortion.

For Context: The ban was passed in 1864. The Roe v. Wade ruling from the Supreme Court in 1973 overruled the law. The overturning of Roe in the summer of 2022 put this law back in the spotlight. In April, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the ban while allowing time for challenges. This law bans abortion at conception unless the life of the mother is at risk.

Details: The Arizona state Senate voted 16-14 to repeal the law, with two Republican lawmakers joining Democrats. Despite the repeal passing, the ban will still briefly go into effect, since the repeal won’t take effect until 90 days after the current legislative session ends.

Key Quote: Heather Williams, President of the Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, stated after the vote, “Make no mistake: Democrats' fierce persistence against weeks of Republican obstruction is the only reason the 1864 ban was repealed and this shows a clear contrast in leadership. As Republicans regroup to defend their 15-week ban and work to undermine the upcoming abortion ballot measure in Arizona, we are focused on flipping the two seats in each chamber that will deliver Democratic majorities in Arizona's legislature.”

How the Media Covered It: Newsweek (Center bias) and The Daily Beast (Left bias) both noted prominent Republican lawmakers who came out against the ban. The Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) noted why the two Republican state Senators voted with Democrats to repeal the ban.