Arizona abortion ruling roils election

Arizona abortion ruling roils election
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The Big Story 

The state’s high court ruled Arizona will enforce an existing law making abortion a felony for anyone who performs or helps a woman obtain one, a day after former President Trump said abortion laws should be left up to the states.

© AP

The 1864 legislation passed before Arizona was a state, but the court ruled to lift the stay on the law, which includes a narrow exception for “when it is necessary” to save a person’s life.

 

The law goes into effect in 14 days. Those convicted under the legislation would face two to five years in prison.

 

The Arizona high court handed down the ruling a day after former President Donald Trump posted a video to Truth Social signaling he is backing away from the issue of abortion as he seeks another term in the White House.

 

“This 50-year battle over Roe v. Wade took it out of the federal hands and brought it into the hearts, minds and vote of the people in each state,” Trump said in the statement. “It was really something. Now it’s up to the states to do the right thing.”

 

Trump played a major role in the ongoing discourse around the issue, having appointed conservative anti-abortion justices to the Supreme Court during his term. Those appointees made up three of the five votes to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.

 

It’s that decision which has since leaked into rulings on other reproductive health policies, such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

 

Abortion has also been a winning issue for Democrats following the ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

 

Even the Arizona ruling will return to the ballot in November, allowing voters to choose if they’d like to remove the restriction.

 

The former president’s views on abortion — which were already unpopular among Democratic voters — now earn him criticism from former allies, GOP lawmakers and strategists.    

 

Trump’s refusal to back a national abortion ban has put him at odds with former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

 

“President Trump’s retreat on the Right to Life is a slap in the face to the millions of pro-life Americans who voted for him in 2016 and 2020,” Pence said in a post to X, formerly Twitter.

 

Graham said leaving the issue entirely to states “runs contrary to an American consensus that would limit late-term abortions,” in a statement responding to Trump’s remarks.

 

Essential Reads 

Key election stories and other recent campaign coverage:

Biden campaign aides and allies on Tuesday wasted little time tying an Arizona court ruling effectively outlawing abortion in the state directly to former President Donald Trump and his call for abortion policy to be decided by the states. “This is what leaving it to the states looks like,” Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This is what Donald Trump endorsed yesterday,” …

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday said he would appoint a special counsel to determine whether sentences for those convicted of charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol were “appropriate,” arguing it would “restore peace” and “restore” trust in the U.S. government. Kennedy, who is mounting a third-party bid for the White House, made the remarks to NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo on Monday evening’s episode of “Cuomo.” …

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Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) blasted former President Trump in an interview early Tuesday, saying he is trying to appear moderate on the issue of abortion and suggesting his official position does not reflect any core “belief.” “Well, first, let me say the issue about a woman’s right to choose, it’s a democracy issue. This is about freedom, freedom of women to make their decision, families to make their …

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The Countdown 

Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching:

  • 97 days until the Republican National Convention

  • 132 days until the Democratic National Convention

  • 210 days until the 2024 general election

In Other News 

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign is pushing back on comments made by one of their consultants, in which she said his supporters share with former President Trump’s supporters a “mutual enemy” in President Biden. In a video, Rita Palma, who is working on ballot access strategies to get Kennedy on as many state ballots as possible as an independent, was giving a talk to non-Biden voters about Kennedy’s path. She outlined …

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A group of anti-Trump Republicans in Nebraska announced an ad blitz Monday against a potential change to the state’s Electoral College votes, which could net the former president an additional electoral vote if passed. The effort to change Nebraska from a split district to a “winner-take-all” state for electoral votes is backed by Trump, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) and Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.). It failed a key vote …

Around the Nation 

Local and state headlines regarding campaigns and elections:

  • Colorado Sun politics reporter kicked out of GOP state assembly (Colorado Sun)

  • California’s housing crisis is hitting Nevada hard. Could that help Trump win a crucial state? (L.A. Times)

  • In abortion statement, Trump praises Alabama lawmakers on IVF for ‘great and fast job’ (AL.com)

What We’re Reading 

Election news we’ve flagged from other outlets:

  • Americans will find voting easier — or harder — depending on where they live (The Washington Post)

  • Judge releases jury questionnaire in Trump hush money trial (Axios)

  • Ted Cruz (R-Texas) Is Turning an Allied Super PAC Into a Media Company. (The Daily Beast)

Elsewhere Today 

Key stories on The Hill right now:

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Drama is building in the House as lawmakers return to work on Tuesday waiting to see if Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) will follow through on her threat to force a vote to unseat Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). Greene unveiled a motion to vacate, the same procedural tool used in October to end former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) … Read more

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More than a dozen retired four-star generals, admirals and other former military leaders filed an amicus brief with in the Supreme Court on Monday, arguing against former President Trump’s claims of immunity in his criminal cases. The group said Trump’s claims “would threaten the military’s role in American society, our nation’s constitutional … Read more

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