Montana Supreme Court rules parental consent for abortion law unconstitutional
In a landmark decision, the Montana Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, Aug. 14, that minors do not need their parents’ permission to get an abortion within the state. The court ruled that the law violates the privacy clause of the state constitution.
The high court agreed with a lower court ruling in a unanimous decision. Justice Laurie McKinnon spoke about the decision, saying minors have “a fundamental right to privacy.”
Planned Parenthood of Montana celebrated the decision. President and CEO Martha Fuller praised the court in a statement, saying, “This decision affirms the right to privacy and we are pleased that the court upheld the fundamental rights of residents of Montana.”
Not everyone agrees with the ruling. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen criticized it, with a spokesman saying the court “further proves how radical and out-of-touch the Montana Supreme Court is.”
The law requiring parental consent for minors to get abortions dates back to 2013. It was immediately challenged by Planned Parenthood. The law never actually came into effect. As an alternative to parental consent, the state allowed minors to seek a judge’s waiver.
During legal proceedings, the state argued for the law in a number of ways, including protection from sexual victimization, providing helpful medical history, and the enhancement of minor’s physical and mental well-being.
The Montana Supreme Court has recognized a right to abortion under the state constitution since 1999. Despite changes at the federal level over time, abortion remains legal in Montana up to 24 weeks, even as other states have moved to restrict or ban it.
Vice President Kamala Harris to tour Minnesota abortion clinic in historic visit
Vice President Kamala Harris plans for a historic stop at an abortion clinic in Minnesota. And a man who lived most of his life in an iron lung passes away. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, March 14, 2024.
Vice President Kamala Harris to tour abortion clinic in Minnesota
Harris’ visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic is a key stop in her nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour, initiated in response to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The landmark ruling had recognized a constitutional right to abortion for nearly five decades.
During her visit, the vice president plans to meet with healthcare providers and possibly interact with patients, highlighting the significance of safeguarding reproductive rights. The Supreme Court’s decision has prompted states like Minnesota to pass laws guaranteeing abortion rights, a measure Harris is expected to address, especially in light of abortion bans in other states.
The exact location of the clinic remains undisclosed due to potential protest concerns, with sources citing security reasons. The vice president’s team will likely reveal the details closer to the time of her visit.
This event marks the sixth stop on Harris’ tour, which began in January on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, underscoring the administration’s commitment to reproductive freedom amidst a shifting legal landscape.
Trump’s legal team to argue classified documents case should be dismissed
The case centers on documents found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, which his lawyers claim were designated as personal, thereby allowing Trump to retain them under the Presidential Records Act. However, Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team contends that the documents were not personal and that the act does not cover classified and top-secret documents.
Additionally, Trump’s legal team will argue that a portion of the Espionage Act, which pertains to retaining national defense information, is unconstitutionally vague as it applies to the former president. Smith’s team has countered, asserting the statute is clear.
Earlier this month, the judge also heard arguments from both parties regarding the setting of a trial date, though it remains unclear when either ruling on the case will be issued.
Hunter Biden has entered a plea of not guilty to all charges brought against him.
Israel plans to relocate civilians to ‘humanitarian islands’ before Rafah invasion
As the Israeli military gears up for a significant offensive in Rafah, plans are underway to relocate a large portion of the population from Gaza’s southernmost city, home to 1.4 million people, ahead of the operation. According to the IDF’s spokesperson, Israel intends to move civilians to “humanitarian islands” established with international community support in the center of the territory.
This move comes amidst warnings from Israel’s allies, including the United States, and aid organizations about the potential consequences of attacking the densely populated city. Many residents of Rafah have been displaced from other areas within the territory.
The objective of the planned offensive, Israel states, is to dismantle Hamas. The IDF spokesman detailed that the humanitarian islands would offer temporary housing, food, water, and other essential services to the displaced individuals. However, specifics regarding the start of evacuations or the offensive’s exact timing remain undisclosed.
Autopsy Report: Oklahoma teen died by suicide following school fight
The incident, which occurred on February 7 at Owasso High School, led to widespread condemnation from LGBTQ rights groups, who highlighted the issue of bullying at the school. The Owasso Police Department, which had been waiting for the autopsy results to confirm the cause of death amid initial uncertainty, stated that a report on the bathroom altercation was only filed after Benedict was taken to the hospital by relatives on the same day.
Prior to the release of the autopsy findings, police officials noted that preliminary results indicated Benedict did not die from physical injuries sustained in the fight.
Texas man who lived in iron lung for seven decades dies
Paul Alexander, a Texas man who spent seven decades living in an iron lung after being diagnosed with polio in 1952, has died at the age of 78. Alexander became a social media sensation in recent months.
Diagnosed at the age of 6 as the disease swept through Dallas, Alexander was left paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on an iron lung to breathe. Despite these challenges, he achieved remarkable milestones, graduating from college, earning a law degree, and practicing law for 30 years. Alexander also penned an autobiography, sharing his life’s journey.
His cause of death has not been specified, but his passing comes weeks after being hospitalized with COVID-19.
In January, Alexander launched a TikTok account named “Polio Paul,” quickly amassing hundreds of thousands of followers. Through his posts, he answered questions about his life and strongly advocated for polio vaccination for children, drawing widespread attention to his story and the importance of the vaccine.
FBI director reveals ‘pretty significant’ uptick in violence against pro-life clinics
FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress that there has been a “pretty significant” uptick in violence against pro-life reproductive facilities since the Dobbs decision. According to data from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, at least 12 defendants have been charged in cases involving violence and other misconduct directed at reproductive health care providers in 2023.
Four of the cases involved pro-life facilities. The charges include Civil Rights Conspiracy and FACE Act offenses, which prohibits threats of force or obstruction intended to interfere with reproductive health care services.
“Most of the investigations that we’ve opened since the Dobbs decision, probably about 70% of them, have been violence against pro-life facilities,” Wray said during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday.
In 2022, 36 people were charged in similar cases involving reproductive health care facilities including Planned Parenthood and abortion facilities. Attorney General Merrick Garland has been criticized for the disparity in prosecutions against those who attacked abortion clinics compared to those who targeted pro-life facilities. Garland said attacks and actions against abortion facilities are easier to prosecute because they often happen during the day and are caught on camera.
During the July 12 hearing, the FBI director was also asked about a now withdrawn memo by the FBI’s Richmond field office which warned of the potential for racially motivated violent extremism in “radical-traditionalist Catholic ideology.” The memo suggested building sources inside churches.
Wray did not defend the memo.
“As soon as I found out about it, I was aghast and ordered it withdrawn and removed from FBI systems,” Wray said.
Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio then asked, “You think priests should be informants inside the church, director?”
“We do not recruit, open or operate confidential human sources to infiltrate, target, report on religious organizations,” Wray said.
“But that’s not what this said. It sounds like you were trying to do it in Richmond, Virginia,” Jordan interjected.
“No, sir,” Wray said.
“You can assure us that this didn’t happen,” Jordan asked.
“That product did not, as best as we can tell, result in any investigative action,” Wray responded.
Wray said an internal review will hopefully determine why the document was written in the first place.
Chairman Jordan wants to reduce FBI funding next year to rein in what he described as abuse. Jordan wants to eliminate funding for a new FBI headquarters and wants to tie funding to policy changes, like requiring the bureau to record interviews.
Judge approves 12-week ban in North Carolina abortion law
A federal judge ruled that most of North Carolina’s new abortion law, including the ban on almost all abortions after 12 weeks, can take effect July 1 as originally planned. Lawyers for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and a physician requested that U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles put most of the new restrictions in the law on hold while litigation over the law plays out.
The abortion providers claimed several provisions affecting doctors and patients in the new law are contradictory, vague and unconstitutional. While Eagles said on Wednesday, June 28, that she didn’t know whether she would issue any temporary restraining order, she added “I don’t see any way that I’m going to enjoin” the portion of the law that contains the 12-week ban.
North Carolina had been one of the few remaining southern states with relatively easy access to abortions in the wake of last year’s Supreme Court decision to strip away constitutional protections for abortion. The 12-week ban, which includes exceptions for rape, incest and “life-limiting” fetal anomalies, would replace the current ban on most abortions after 20 weeks.
The North Carolina abortion law was originally passed back in May, with the Republican-controlled General Assembly overriding a veto from Gov. Roy Cooper, D-N.C. This week, the legislature made revisions to the law in attempt to fix many of the challenged provisions.
The new version passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. It was sitting on Gov. Cooper’s desk as of Wednesday.
The state constitution gives Cooper until July 7 to sign the bill or veto it. Otherwise, it will become law without his signature.
Wyoming judge blocks abortion pill ban ahead of Dobbs anniversary
As President Joe Biden gets set to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning Roe V. Wade with several endorsements in hand, a judge temporarily blocked Wyoming’s ban on abortion pills. Wyoming was the first in the nation to pass a ban that specifically targeted abortion pills.
The ban was set to take effect July 1. However, Teton County Judge Melissa Owens put it on hold while a lawsuit proceeds.
Four women, including two obstetricians, and two nonprofit organizations are challenging the Wyoming abortion pill ban. Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued banning abortion pills would require women to get more invasive surgical abortions instead.
“It effectively tells people you must have open-heart surgery when a stent would do,” Marci Bramlet, an attorney for the ban opponents, argued at a hearing on Thursday, June 22.
The plaintiffs are also suing to stop a near-total ban on abortion enacted in Wyoming in March. It allows exceptions for the life of the mother and for cases of rape or incest that are reported to police. Attorneys for the state argued abortion for other reasons isn’t health care.
“It’s not restoring a woman’s body from pain, injury or physical sickness,” Jay Jerde, an attorney for the state, said. “Medical services are involved, but getting an abortion for reasons other than health care, it can’t be a medical decision.”
The Wyoming abortion pill ban ruling came just a couple days before the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe V. Wade. President Biden was set to mark the occasion Friday, June 23, by hosting a rally and issuing an executive order to bolster access to contraception.
“It’s going to continue to be a big week. The administration is, you know, literally all four of the principals, the president, vice president, second gentleman and first lady are all engaged,” White House Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein said Wednesday, June 21. “And I really think you’re seeing that not only here in this administration, but really across the country. People are really galvanized and motivated.”
“I think that President Biden has been an incredibly valuable partner, along with Vice President Harris, in fighting back against the onslaught of attacks that we have seen,” Alexis McGill Johnson, president and chief executive of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said. “We are heading into an election where opposition is very clear — they are pushing for a national ban. And we have an administration that has taken actual steps to protect patients and providers during this health care crisis. The choice is really clear.”
Coast Guard Officials confirmed Thursday, June 22 that all five people aboard the Titan submarine died after an implosion underwater. Five major pieces of debris from the submarine were discovered.
“I offer my deepest condolences to the families,” First Coast Guard District Rear Adm. John Mauger said Thursday. “I can only imagine what this has been like for them and I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time.”
The first piece was found about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor. Before the implosion, the Titan submarine was making its way down to the remains of the Titanic on Sunday when it was reported missing.
The search and rescue effort that followed has now turn into an investigation and salvage mission. The Coast Guard said the investigation will take an indefinite amount of time.
Wyoming judge blocks state’s abortion pill ban
Just days before the abortion pill mifepristone was set to be banned in Wyoming, a federal judge ruled Thursday to stop the state’s ban on abortion pills. Wyoming was the first state to move to ban mifepristone, which has been used to carry out more than half of all U.S. abortions.
The state also passed an abortion ban, both of which are now tied up in litigation. The pill was set to remain legal in the state pending the outcome of a lawsuit.
Wyoming’s abortion ban was likewise temporarily blocked by a judge awaiting the outcome of its legal challenge in court. If the state’s abortion ban goes into effect, efforts to block the pill from being used would be largely symbolic.
Biden gets abortion rights endorsements ahead of Dobbs anniversary
Wyoming is one of many states that has moved to create abortion legislation. President Joe Biden has looked to build off of the backlash to said legislation after Democrats had major success in the midterms running on rights to an abortion.
Saturday, June 24 marks exactly one year since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion. Abortion measures on ballots during the 2022 midterm elections largely fell in favor of protecting abortion rights.
“It’s going to continue to be a big week. The administration is, you know, literally all four of the principals, the president, vice president, second gentleman and first lady are all engaged,” White House Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein said Wednesday, June 21. “And I really think you’re seeing that not only here in this administration, but really across the country. People are really galvanized and motivated.”
President Biden has received three major endorsements from abortion rights groups: Planned Parenthood, Naral Pro-Choice America, and Emily’s List. After the overturning of Roe V. Wade, 53% of Americans polled by The Associated Press disapproved of the court’s decision.
Whistleblowers: IRS, DOJ interfered in Hunter Biden tax case
A House committee has released transcripts of congressional interviews with two IRS whistleblowers. The whistleblowers alleged sweeping misconduct by the Justice Department, the FBI, and the IRS in the investigation into Hunter Biden.
One whistleblower said decisions in Hunter Biden’s case were influenced by politics. The whistleblower claimed the Justice Department delayed, divulged, and denied an ongoing investigation into Hunter’s alleged tax crimes.
Tropical storms form amid busy start to hurricane season
Three tropical disturbances are the latest developments in what has been a busy and unusual start to hurricane season, according to a hurricane specialist. The one closest to the United States is Tropical Storm Bret, bringing winds just under hurricane-strength as it passed near Barbados.
Behind Bret is Tropical Storm Cindy, with a track-forecast towards the north Atlantic. There’s a third system already brewing off the West Coast of Africa. But with hot water across the sea surface, hurricane specialists predicted the system one could eventually take shape.
Cindy is the third named storm in the Atlantic, which normally doesn’t happen until Aug. 3. That puts 2023’s hurricane season six weeks ahead of schedule.
3M settles contaminated water lawsuits
3M has reached an agreement to pay more than $10 billion to settle contaminated water claims brought by multiple U.S. cities over “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. The company produces things like Post-it Notes, Scotch Tape, and N-95 masks.
3M was accused of contaminating water with its use of PFAS in its products. The payments would be made over a 13-year period to test and treat water supply for contamination.
The company still faces other lawsuits from other states and individuals. 3M plans to stop manufacturing PFAS in 2025.
Midday rundown: Schiff seeks Senate seat, DOJ cracks down on cybercrime
The Justice Department has cracked down on one of the world’s largest cyber criminal groups; and Southwest’s holiday debacle has cost the company hundreds of millions in losses. These stories and more highlight your daily rundown for the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023.
Rep. Adam Schiff announces bid for Senate
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff announced Thursday he will seek the Senate seat long held by Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein filed reelection paperwork for 2024, but hasn’t yet commented on whether she will seek a sixth term.
Schiff has become a popular name in the Democratic Party, and more and more politicians across the country are announcing their plans for 2024.
Justice Department disrupts major ransomware group
The Justice Department announced Thursday a major cyber crackdown against one of the world’s most prolific ransomware gangs. The Hive gang is known to hack companies’ systems then threaten to leak sensitive information on the internet unless they pay up.
The gang reportedly swindled schools, hospitals and businesses out of more than $100 million in extortion payments. The department was able to seize its website and dismantle its digital infrastructure.
Boeing in court over 737 Max crashes
The families who lost loved ones in the Boeing 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 are finally getting their day in court.
Boeing is being arraigned Thursday in federal court on criminal charges of conspiracy to commit fraud. The charges are related to two crashes that killed 346 people. The judge is allowing family members of those killed to be heard during the proceeding.
Investigators blame both crashes on a flawed automated flight control system that forced the planes into uncontrollable nosedives. Federal prosecutors accuse Boeing of deceiving the FAA about the system.
Two years ago, Boeing avoided criminal prosecution by entering into an agreement with the DOJ. Under the terms of the deal, Boeing admitted to defrauding the FAA by concealing safety problems and agreed to pay $2.5 billion in fines.
Man arrested for Planned Parenthood fire
Wednesday, two people charged for vandalizing pro-life clinics in Florida. Now a man in Illinois has been arrested for setting a Planned Parenthood clinic on fire.
The state of Illinois passed legislation this month protecting rights to an abortion. Two days after the new laws were passed, the Planned Parenthood clinic went up in flames, causing $150,000 worth of damage.
It’s sadly a trend with dozens of clinics, both abortion clinics and pro-life centers, are being attacked.
Southwest posts $220 million loss
Southwest’s holiday meltdown came at a cost for the company. It’s reporting a $220 million loss for the fourth quarter.
More than 16,000 flight delays in the last couple of weeks of December drove up the company’s expenses. That was expected to linger into the first quarter of this year as the company compensates travelers affected by its holiday cancellations.
Louisiana inmates held past release dates
The Justice Department has found the state of Louisiana is holding more than a quarter of inmates beyond their release dates. The department is now investigating the state’s detention issues over the course of several years. The department said it has found what it calls “systemic violations.”
Between January and April of last year, nearly 27% of inmates released from custody were held past their release dates. That’s more than 4,000 inmates. Nearly a thousand were kept behind bars an extra 90 days or longer.
The department largely blames the state’s documentation procedures and says if it’s not corrected in the matter of weeks, it will sue the state of Louisiana.
Shapeshifting robots are among us
Shapeshifting, electrifying robots are walking among us – or at least they could be soon. Scientists have created a liquid metal “droid” in the shape of a man. It can flow through the bars of a cage before rebuilding itself.
It may remind you of the Terminator movies, but engineers say their inspiration actually came from squishy sea cucumbers.
The silver bot was made by embedding magnetic particles in gallium, a metal with a very low melting point.
Midday rundown: March for Life rally, ICE to help migrants affected by data breach
The D.C. mayor is calling on the federal government to get back to work or hand over their empty office spaces consuming downtown; and a new report reveals fentanyl deaths in children have surged at an alarming rate. These stories and more highlight the midday rundown for Friday, Jan. 20, 2023.
March for Life rally returns to D.C.
Anti-abortion voices are being heard in the 50th annual March for Life. Today in D.C., thousands of supporters are marking the first time the anti-abortion rally has taken place since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
This Sunday also marks 50 years since the Roe v. Wade ruling.
On the other side of this, Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver an address in Florida. According to a senior administration official, Harris will speak about the White House’s commitment to abortion access, and she will make the case for national legislation to protect reproductive rights.
FBI offers $25k reward for information on pregnancy center attacks
After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, anti-abortion centers along with abortion clinics became the target of people’s anger. Nearly a dozen attacks remain unresolved. Now, the FBI is offering a reward for information on the people responsible.
Centers, from Oregon to New York, have been set on fire and vandalized with no consequences. The FBI is looking for the public’s help in these open investigations. They are offering $25,000 dollars for information that leads to an arrest.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said the reward reflects the FBI’s commitment to “vigorously pursue” investigations into crimes against pregnancy resource centers and reproductive health clinics across the country.
Vacant federal offices consume D.C.
The mayor of D.C. is telling President Biden to order his employees back to work or watch D.C. die. In Mayor Muriel Bowser’s reelection address to the city, she laid out how vital the downtown area is to D.C. She compared it to a ghost town since workers, largely government employees, have been working from home.
The federal government owns or leases one-third of the office space, and Bowser wants to see activity return to downtown.
“We need decisive action by the White House to either get most federal workers back to the office most of the time or realign their vast property holdings for use of the local government, nonprofits, businesses, and by any user willing to revitalize it,” Mayor Bowser said.
ICE helps migrants affected by breach
Straight Arrow News first reported in November that thousands of migrants’ personal information was mistakenly posted on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement website. Now, ICE is having to make up for the error.
Nearly 3,000 migrants have been released by ICE after their names, birthdates and detention locations were somehow made public for hours. The sensitive information is said to have possibly put migrants in harm’s way after escaping torture and persecution from their volatile home countries.
To mitigate the risk, ICE is allowing affected migrants to stay in the U.S. For the migrants who were already deported before the breach, ICE is looking to help bring them back to the U.S.
Fentanyl deaths of children surge
Fentanyl overdoses continue to be the No. 1 one killer of Americans aged 18 to 45. That isn’t even accounting for the fentanyl exposures killing children. A new report has kids under 14 dying of fentanyl at a faster rate than any other age group.
According to the CDC, infant deaths from fentanyl poisoning doubled between 2019 and 2021. Deaths among toddlers tripled, and children between the ages of 5 and 14 that fell victim to fentanyl quadrupled in that two year span.
Illegal versions of the synthetic drug can look like candy, and it’s easily mixed with drugs like cocaine and heroin. In many cases, the drug is ingested unknowingly.
Two milligrams of fentanyl is enough to kill, which is equal to just 10 grains of salt.
First 3D printed two-story home
America’s first 3D printed two-story home is being built in Houston, Texas. The 4,000-square-foot home is being constructed by a machine that pours concrete from a nozzle, one layer at a time.
The technology has been breaking ground in the U.S. homebuilding market for the last couple of years.
Several 3D printed homes have been built or are currently being constructed across a handful of states, but never a two-story until now.
South Carolina, Idaho Supreme Courts issue differing abortion rulings
The Idaho and South Carolina State Supreme Courts made opposing rulings on two similar abortion bills, a scenario that is only possible because of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. In Idaho, justices upheld a nearly total ban, while justices in South Carolina struck down a heartbeat bill.
The Idaho Supreme Court upheld a near total abortion ban that makes exceptions for rape, incest and saving the life of the mother. In the 3-2 decision, the justices said the Idaho Constitution does not contain an explicit right to an abortion.
The majority noted its decision was based on the original text of the state’s constitution and the framers’ intent. Therefore, the majority said, the inalienable rights clause in Article 1, Section 1 of the state’s constitution was meant by the state’s framers and adopters to protect the rights to life, liberty and property. The majority also wrote that it was only ruling on the law’s constitutionality and not making a statement as to whether it is wise policy.
The petitioner, Planned Parenthood, said it will continue helping women in Idaho access abortion care in the wake of the decision.
“Idahoans deserve better than this. Everyone should have access to safe, legal abortion care. If you need an abortion, please don’t hesitate to contact us for support,” Planned Parenthood Great Northwest President and CEO Rebecca Gibron tweeted.
The Susan B. Anthony pro-life America organization, which tracks pro-life legislation around the country, celebrated the decision.
“Protecting unborn children and their mothers has been Idaho’s policy for decades, and with one of the strongest pro-life laws in the country, the Gem State is poised to save thousands of lives a year,” SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement.
In South Carolina, the state supreme court struck down a six week abortion ban known as a heartbeat bill. The 3-2 decision states the law that banned abortions after cardiac activity is detected violates the state’s constitutional right to privacy.
The justices wrote that the state does have the authority to curtail abortion but needs to give pregnant women time to determine they are pregnant and then take steps to terminate the pregnancy if they desire. The justices wrote six weeks is not enough time for that to happen. A twenty week abortion ban in South Carolina will remain in effect.
“We are deeply disappointed the South Carolina Supreme Court sided with the radical abortion lobby and its nonexistent ‘right’ to commit abortion violence against unborn babies with beating hearts. The abortion industry continues to run to the courts to impose their agenda knowing that the people do not support their extreme policies,” Dannenfelser said.
Planned Parenthood called the decision a “monumental victory” in its movement to protect legal abortion in the South.
“Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and our partners will continue our fight to block any bill that allows politicians to interfere in people’s private healthcare decisions,” Planned Parenthood South Atlantic President and CEO Jenny Black said in a statement.
Before the Dobbs decision, both of these laws would have been ruled unconstitutional under the precedent set by Roe v. Wade. But after the Supreme Court sent abortion policy decisions back to the states, differing opinions like these became possible.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Arizona abortion law from 1864 reinstated
An Arizona Superior Court judge lifted a 50-year-old injunction on a state abortion law in light of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The court’s ruling reinstates an abortion ban passed in 1864 and will allow prosecutors to pursue charges against anyone who helps provide an abortion in the state.
The law was ruled unconstitutional in 1973 because the court said it needed to align with Roe. Now, Judge Kellie Johnson wrote that because the legal basis for the judgment has been overruled in Dobbs, it must be vacated entirely.
The Arizona law makes it illegal to provide both medical and surgical abortions, unless it is necessary to save the woman’s life. It is punishable by two to five years in state prison.
“We applaud the court for upholding the will of the legislature and providing clarity and uniformity on this important issue. I have and will continue to protect the most vulnerable Arizonans,” Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a statement.
But Planned Parenthood said it won’t stop fighting until the ban is repealed.
“We know that today’s ruling does not reflect the will of the people, as Arizonans are overwhelmingly in favor of abortion access. Instead, it is the result of extremist Attorney General Brnovich and other anti-abortion elected officials who are on a mission to strip Arizonans from their right to live under a rule of law that respects our bodily autonomy and reproductive decisions,” Brittany Fonteno, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona, said in a statement.
A separate 15 week abortion ban took effect in Arizona Saturday. Planned Parenthood said in a release, “This decision to lift the injunction on the previously enjoined abortion ban, without clarifying how Arizona’s other existing laws interact with it, has created chaos and confusion.”
While new lawsuits are expected, this decision could have a much more immediate impact on the upcoming midterm elections Nov. 8. Arizona voters will choose between Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, D, and former TV News Anchor Kari Lake, R, in the governor’s race and Sen. Mark Kelly, D, who is being challenged by businessman Blake Masters, R, for a six year term in the United States Senate.
A July poll from Ohio Predictive Insights found 89% of Arizonans believe abortion should be legal in at least some cases, and 42% said it should be legal in all circumstances. According to the poll, 47% also said they are more likely to vote after learning of the Dobbs decision.