Since the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the Civil War-era abortion ban on April 9, the decision has been met with much controversy, including opposition from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
She sent a letter to hospitals and medical providers Friday which clarified what the state's updated abortion law means for them.
The ban initiates on April 24, but there can be no prosecution for providing or receiving abortions until at least June 8, or 45 days from the time the Arizona Supreme Court issues its official mandate.
“My office continues to explore all legal options available to prevent the 1864 near-total abortion ban from taking effect," Mayes said.
"[We] will continue to do everything we can to support our medical professionals as they work to provide care for their patients... The bottom line is that these decisions should be private and made between a patient and their doctor.”
As the law stands now, abortions are legal up to 15 weeks. They are only legal after that point if it's necessary to save the mother's life. But with the pre-statehood ban, abortions are illegal unless it's necessary to save the mother's life.
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Mikenzie Hammel joined the KGUN 9 team as a multimedia journalist in the summer of 2023. She graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism with her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. With her passion for human connection and visual storytelling, Mikenzie is honored to share the stories of Tucson and southeastern Arizona. Share your story ideas and important issues with Mikenzie by emailing mikenzie.hammel@kgun9.com.
