A Maricopa County Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit that sought to knock an abortion rights question off of the November ballot.
In July, Arizona for Abortion Access turned in over 800,000 signatures to place an initiative on the ballot asking voters to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution.
But Arizona Right to Life, an anti-abortion group, filed a lawsuit arguing a description of the proposal that is required to be put on the front of initiative petitions was “inherently misleading” to voters who signed the petition.
Judge Melissa Julian disagreed, finding the description complied with state law.
“Here, the description accurately and fully communicated the initiative’s key provisions,” Julian wrote.
In a statement, the Arizona for Abortion Access Campaign praised the ruling.
“Today, Arizona for Abortion Access prevailed in yet another challenge to our historic, citizen-led campaign, this time defeating the meritless challenge to the 200-word summary that appeared at the top of the petition sheets more than 820,000 Arizona voters signed,” according to the statement. “We aren’t surprised by this win because our opposition’s arguments had no basis in Arizona law and were nothing more than false political talking points.”
An attorney for Arizona Right to Life did not respond to a request for comment.
