Two of Arizona’s most high profile Democrats have publicly disagreed about the correct course of action after the Arizona Supreme Court approved a 19th century law that effectively bans most abortions.
In a Friday appearance on The View, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs urged the Arizona State Legislature to immediately repeal the 1864 law that predates Arizona’s statehood.
“They need to get their stuff together and just repeal it,” said Hobbs. She noted that many Republicans openly oppose the ruling, but nonetheless “voted with the majority to adjourn instead of take that vote.”
Also during her appearance on the talk show, Hobbs confirmed she is in favor of abortion until birth, stating she aligns her views with those represented by the proposed Arizona abortion referendum, which would allow such abortions under specific circumstances.
U.S. Senate candidate Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03), by contrast, claimed lawmakers need not bother repealing 160-year-old law because, “Any initiative they pass right now wouldn’t even take effect for quite a while,” according to The Guardian.
Instead, the Senate candidate said voters should wait to approve the potential referendum to enshrine the right to abortion in the Arizona constitution at the ballot box in November.
Gallego claimed, “The only protection we really, really have is to codify this and put this on the ballot and enshrine” and “protect abortion rights.”
Immediately after the Arizona Supreme Court decision was announced, Gallego said in a fundraising email that he would work in the U.S. Senate to pass federal legislation to protect abortion.
The distance between the positions held by Hobbs and Gallego come as Republicans announce their stance on the ruling.
Both former President Donald Trump and Senate candidate Kari Lake, who is likely to oppose Gallego as a Republican, have argued the 1864 abortion law is too extreme and called on lawmakers to approve legislation that would allow for abortions in the event of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is threatened.
Lake has also promised, if elected, she will prevent and eliminate federal funding for abortion while also simultaneously working against any efforts to federally ban abortion to preserve states’ sovereignty over the issue.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Gov Katie Hobbs” by Gov. Katie Hobbs and “Rep. Ruben Gallego” is by Ruben Gallego.
