"Arizona Supreme Court Upholds 1864 Near-Total Abortion Ban"
The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that a 160-year-old near-total abortion ban from 1864 is enforceable, making it a felony punishable by two to five years in prison for anyone who performs or helps a woman obtain an abortion, with an exception to save the woman’s life. The decision effectively undoes a lower court’s ruling that a more recent 15-week ban superseded the 1864 law, potentially leading to the closure of abortion clinics in the state. The issue may soon be in the hands of voters, as abortion rights groups are likely to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the November 2024 ballot to create a "fundamental right" to receive abortion care up until fetal viability.