US state Arizona approves constitutional right to abortion, overturns state's 15-week ban

By Shweta Kumari | First Published Nov 6, 2024, 11:00 AM IST

Abortion will be protected in US state Arizona until the point of fetal viability after voters approved a ballot amendment codifying those protections into the state constitution, according to reports.

Abortion will be protected in Arizona until the point of fetal viability after voters approved a ballot amendment codifying those protections into the state constitution, according to reports. Proposition 139 was one of 10 abortion rights measures that appeared on ballots across the country this November.

Arizona law currently allows abortions until 15 weeks of pregnancy with exceptions for medical emergencies.

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The amendment established that every individual has the fundamental right to abortion, and that the state of Arizona may not interfere before the point of fetal viability — the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, usually around 24 weeks or unless a health-care professional determines an abortion would harm “the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual.”

BREAKING: Arizona approves constitutional right to abortion, overturning state's 15-week ban

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By passing the amendment, voters rejected the state’s current 15-week abortion ban, which was passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature and signed by former Gov. Doug Ducey after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Arizona was among 10 states that were voting on abortion amendments this year. It joins other red and purple states that added abortion protections in previous elections, including Ohio, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan.

Abortion is a polarizing issue that was expected to draw people to the polls, potentially impacting the presidential race in swing states, control of Congress and the outcomes of closely contested state offices.

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