Arizona Court Allows Abortion Rights Vote in November

The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that Proposition 139, a citizen-led initiative aimed at enshrining abortion access in the state constitution, will remain on the November ballot. This decision follows an appeal from Arizona Right to Life, a pro-life organization, which argued that the language used in the petition to gather signatures was misleading. The court found that the petition's description adequately communicated the initiative's principal provisions, which include establishing a fundamental right to abortion and outlining the state's limitations on penalizing individuals exercising that right. Arizona Right to Life contended that the petition's description lacked clarity, specifically omitting the term "treating" before "healthcare providers" and failing to mention "good faith judgments." However, the Supreme Court determined that the description did not omit any principal provisions and was not required to detail the initiative's impact on existing abortion laws. The court emphasized that a reasonable person would understand that current laws failing to meet the new standards would be invalidated. The initiative, which garnered 577,971 certified signatures, aims to protect abortion rights up to fetal viability, estimated at 22 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Following the ruling, Arizona for Abortion Access expressed confidence that voters would support the measure, while Arizona Right to Life vowed to continue its efforts to inform the public about the implications of the proposed amendment. The ruling comes in the wake of recent legislative changes in Arizona, including the repeal of a near-total abortion ban and the establishment of a 15-week limit on abortions, which does not allow exceptions for rape or incest.