TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Abortion has been a hot topic of debate in political discourse for decades now.
But in Arizona, a spotlight was put on the state back in the spring when the Arizona Supreme Court cleared the way for an 1864 era abortion ban to be enforced.
But Arizona lawmakers voted to repealthat law after weeks of debate in May.
Now Proposition 139 is set to take center stage this November, which could make abortions legal up to fetal viability.
Pima County Republicans say that parts of the bill are too vague.
"The biggest thing that we have with Prop 139 is the fact that in our minds, it can be abortion to birth because of the clause in there that says mental capacity," says Eileen Wilson, 2nd Vice Chair for the Pima County GOP, "So in other words, it's not just if the mom's life is in danger, but if her mental capacity feels she doesn't want to have this baby."
But for the Democratic Party, the issue is about ensuring abortion rights cannot be taken away.
"The overturning of Roe was obviously, in our minds and in our allies mind, devastating for Arizona women and families and women across our nation, this theft of our bodily autonomy has rocked us to our core. It's not just a women's issue abortion. It's a family. It's an everyone issue," says Shelly Goode-Burgoyne, executive director of the Pima County Democratic Party.
As it stands, 11 other states in the country have abortions legal up until fetal viability.
Which,according to the National Library of Medicine, is when a fetus can survive outside of the uterus.
Wilson says the Republican Party is not looking to ban all abortions, but that the wording of proposition 139 goes too far.
"'Mental capacity' is a very broad statement. So that's the biggest problem that the Republican Party has with that," says Wilson.
Goode-Burgoyne says, there is a need to protect Arizonans.
"We will not go back. Arizona will not go back. That's why we're we have worked so hard to get Proposition 139 on the ballot," says Goode-Burgoyne.
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Blake Phillips is a reporter for KGUN 9. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., Blake grew up in Sierra Vista. During his college tenure at the Missouri School of Journalism, Blake worked for the NBC affiliate KOMU-TV in Columbia. He is excited to return to a place he calls home and give back to the community in which he grew up. Share your story ideas and important issues with Blake by emailing blake.phillips@kgun9.com.
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