Planned Parenthood Arizona Reacts to State Supreme Court Decision to Take Up Archaic, Near-Total Abortion Ban Case

MEDIA CONTACT: Feldman Strategies, [email protected]

ARIZONA – Today, the Arizona State Supreme Court decided that it will consider a petition for review in Planned Parenthood Arizona v. Mayes, which relates to the status of Arizona’s abortion laws and whether prosecutors can enforce the state’s 1864 near-total abortion ban against abortion providers. Last December, the Arizona Court of Appeals held that all of Arizona’s abortion laws must be harmonized, and that abortion is legal through 15 weeks when provided by licensed physicians in compliance with Arizona’s other laws and regulations. The petition for review was filed by Eric Hazelrigg, a doctor at an anti-abortion clinic in Arizona, who intervened in the case over Planned Parenthood’s objection and filed the petition for review after Attorney General Mayes said she would not further appeal the former Attorney General’s case. The petition for review was joined by the Yavapai County Attorney who was granted intervention in the appeal. Today’s decision by the Court to grant review of this petition says nothing about the merits of the case.

In response to the Court’s order, Kelley Dupps, Planned Parenthood Arizona Senior Director of Public Policy & Government Relations, issued the following statement:

“This archaic abortion ban the intervenors are trying to revive is cruel, harmful, and unpopular with the majority of Arizonans. It has no place dictating our reproductive freedom and how we live our lives today. We are confident that the Supreme Court will affirm the court of appeals’ well-reasoned decision that preserved access to abortion care. We will not stop fighting for our patients at the courthouse and beyond.

We recognize this case will not be the last attempt by anti-abortion activists to roll back rights. Arizonans deserve the freedom to make their own decisions about their reproductive health, and it is time to secure the right to an abortion in the Arizona Constitution. The recently announced Arizona Abortion Access Act ballot initiative will be a crucial first step in securing a future with better reproductive health care for all Arizonans.”

Planned Parenthood Arizona’s doors remain open and we are committed to protecting abortion access and other essential sexual and reproductive health care services.