Arizona House Votes To Repeal 1864 Near-Total Abortion Ban

PHOENIX (AP) — A proposed repeal of Arizona’s near-total ban on abortions has won approval from the state House, clearing its first hurdle two weeks after a court concluded the state can enforce the 1864 law, which only offers an exception for saving the patient’s life.

Three Republicans joined in with all 29 Democrats on Wednesday to repeal a law that predated Arizona’s statehood and provides no exceptions for rape or incest. The vote came after weeks of mounting pressure on Republicans in a battleground state during a presidential election year.

Republicans had repeatedly used procedural votes to block earlier repeal efforts, each time drawing condemnation from Democratic President Joe Biden, who has made his support for abortion rights central to his reelection campaign. The breakthrough came Wednesday when a second Republican joined all Democrats in voting to overrule GOP House speaker, who has steadfastly blocked repeal. A third Republican joined to support repeal.

Republicans have used procedural votes to block earlier repeal efforts, each time drawing condemnation from Democratic President Joe Biden, who has made his support for abortion rights central to his reelection campaign.

Democrats and the Biden campaign held a news conference Wednesday to continue their push to lay stringent abortion restrictions at the feet of former President Trump and Republicans.

“Make no mistake, Arizonans are living in 1864 now because Donald Trump dismantled Roe v. Wade,” said Democratic state Sen. Priya Sundareshan of Tucson. The repeal efforts comes a day after Biden said Trump created a “health care crisis for women all over this country,” by imperiling their access to care.

Dozens of people gathered outside the state Capitol