The Arizona Legislature’s vote to adjourn on Saturday means Arizona’s near-total abortion ban will not go back into effect.
The Arizona Supreme Court issued a ruling in April declaring the territorial-era ban should take precedence over a 15-week abortion ban passed by lawmakers in 2022. But a series of legal maneuvers by Attorney General Kris Mayes delayed the ruling’s effective date until Sept. 26.
Weeks after the Supreme Court released its decision, the Legislature voted to repeal the near-total ban but the repeal did not garner enough support among lawmakers to pass with an emergency clause, which would have allowed it to take effect immediately once it was signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Instead, the repeal will go into effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourned on June 15, meaning the territorial-era ban will come off the books on Sept. 14 — about two weeks before it was scheduled to go back into effect.
At that point, the 15-week ban will be the law of the land.
Abortion rights groups are also gathering signatures to put an abortion access initiative before voters in November. If passed, the Arizona for Abortion Access measure would enshrine the right to access abortion services in the state Constitution.
