Abortion

Abortion foes are going to court to try to prevent a public vote on putting a right to abortion in the Arizona Constitution.

Republican lawmakers did nothing wrong in using "unborn human being'' in their description of the effects of a ballot measure to put a right to abortion in the Arizona Constitution, a lawyer for the Legislature says.

What's supposed to be an "impartial'' explanation of a citizens' initiative enshrining the right to abortion in the constitution that voters will see in their official publicity pamphlet won't be free of contentious language on the hot-button issue.

Backers of a measure to guarantee the right to abortion turned in what they said was more than 800,000 signatures on Wednesday to put the issue on the November ballot.

Arizona doctors can't be prosecuted for performing abortions after 15 weeks as long as they make a "good faith clinical judgment'' that the procedure is necessary to prevent a woman's death or "substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function,'' Attorney General Kris Mayes said Thursday.

Women in Arizona won't be denied access to abortion, at least up to the first 15 weeks of pregnancy, because an 1864 abortion law outlawing it won't get a chance to be reinstated. Four Democratic lawmakers want a legal opinion on when women in Arizona can legally get an abortion after the 15th week of pregnancy and when doctors can perform them without risking going to prison.

The Alliance Defending Freedom on Tuesday urged the Arizona Supreme to immediately order the 1864 law again enforceable, saying even a temporary restoration of the law legislators just repealed will save 25 "unborn children'' a day.

Attorney General Kris Mayes is making one last attempt to delay the enforcement of an 1864 Arizona law that outlaws all abortions except to save the life of the mother.In a new filing, Mayes wants the Arizona Supreme Court to delay issuing its mandate -- formal enactment of its April 9 ruling -- for up to 90 days. She said that time will give her a chance to decide whether to seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Arizona said Thursday that abortions could soon become unavailable -- at least for some period of time -- even if state lawmakers repeal the territorial-era restrictions.

House Republican leaders used procedural maneuvers -- twice -- to block members from even deciding and debating whether to repeal the state's 1864 law banning abortions except to save the life of the mother.