Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes claimed this week that she is “fighting so hard” to preserve abortion access to prevent Arizona from following Texas’ path of banning the practice after the child’s heartbeat is detected, according to an article published Wednesday.
Mayes (pictured above) made the remarks to the Austin American-Statesman while in Texas for a Democratic Attorneys General Association meeting the outlet reported was designed to allow the legal officials “to strategize on abortion access” throughout the country.
The outlet explained that it had “exclusive access to the group’s conference May 22-23.” It also reported that Mayes confirmed her abortion advocacy is aimed at preventing the establishment of pro-life laws in Arizona.
According to The American-Statesman, Mayes “said the effect of Texas’ bans has renewed her dedication to fight for reproductive rights in the courts.”
She told the outlet, “That’s why we’re fighting so hard in Arizona, to avoid what’s happened in Texas,” and offered, “It was like looking into a future that we are fighting hard against.”
Current law in Texas makes most abortions illegal after the sixth week of pregnancy when a heartbeat can be detected in the unborn child. However, the state continues to allow exceptions for when the life of the mother is at risk.
By June 2023, an independent analysis found Texas had already seen nearly 10,000 births that would not have otherwise occurred without the abortion law.
While Democrats have reportedly looked to abortion to shore up their electoral odds in 2024, a recent poll of Arizona voters found less than half said abortion would incentivize them to vote in a presidential election between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Other polling data suggested Republicans are divided on abortion, and less than half supported the former Arizona abortion law that did not provide exceptions for rape or incest.
Trump and Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake both expressed their opposition to that law but have both also pledged to Arizona voters that they will not impose abortion policies at the federal level if sent to Washington, D.C.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Attorney General Kris Mayes” by Attorney General Kris Mayes.Background Photo “Arizona Capitol” by Wars. CC BY-SA 2.0.
