Arizona Republicans are considering options to counter a potential abortion rights ballot initiative by drafting their own measures that would restrict abortion access. The proposal, drafted by Linley Wilson, suggests introducing ballot initiatives limiting abortion to either six weeks or the beginning of the 15th week of pregnancy. This comes after the Arizona Supreme Court revived a 160-year-old near-total abortion ban, prompting intense pressure on Republicans to address abortion rights.
The draft proposal is part of a strategy to either block the passage of the Arizona for Abortion Access initiative or protect lawmakers’ ability to regulate abortion access. Republicans hope that by introducing their own initiatives, they can split the vote and increase the likelihood of the abortion rights initiative failing. However, this approach would transfer the regulation of abortion from the legislature to voters, which could be a downside of the strategy. Abortion rights groups have criticized the draft memo, calling it a political scheme designed to create chaos.
Following the state Supreme Court decision last week, House Republicans have faced calls to address the abortion ban, with some Republicans, including former President Donald Trump and Senate candidate Kari Lake, urging the GOP-led legislature to work with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs on a fix. However, the proposal put forward by Wilson takes Republicans down a different path, suggesting a multiphase approach to change the narrative and potentially pull votes away from the abortion rights initiative.
The proposed Phase 1 of the plan involves adding a measure to the November ballot that would allow lawmakers to regulate certain abortion practices, such as requiring parental consent for minors seeking abortions. Phase 2 would include referring a six-week ban and another measure described as a “14-week law disguised as a 15-week law,” which would only allow abortion until the beginning of the 15th week of pregnancy. There is also an alternative to Phase 2, where lawmakers would refer a conditional enactment of the abortion rights ballot initiative, allowing for regulations based on reasons like fetal pain mitigation.
While any ballot initiative referred by the Republican-led legislature would not require the signature of Gov. Hobbs, it remains unclear if Republicans have enough support to enact the proposed plan. The draft memo concludes with a meme featuring talk show host Seth Meyers saying, “Boom. Easy as that.” The evolving situation surrounding abortion rights in Arizona highlights the ongoing debate and tension between Republican lawmakers and abortion rights advocates in the state.
