Arizona court strikes down abortion restriction laws
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A woman holds a sign at a protest in the district of Republican state Representative Matt Gress after Arizona's Supreme Court revived a law dating to 1864 that bans abortion in virtually all instances, in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. April 14, 2024. REUTERS
By Dietrich Knauth
Feb 6 (Reuters) - An Arizona judge on Friday struck down three state laws that limited access to abortion, saying the restrictions violated a right to abortion that was added to the state's constitution in 2024.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gregory Como ruled the restrictions did not improve patient health, infringed on decision-making, and violated the state constitution’s guarantee of a “fundamental right to abortion under Arizona law.”
The challenged laws banned the use of telemedicine for medication abortion, required patients to provide a reason for seeking an abortion, and prevented abortions due to a “genetic abnormality” in the fetus.
The laws also required every patient seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound at least 24 hours before the procedure, and required patients to wait at least a day and make a second trip to the doctor before getting an abortion.
All of the challenged laws were on the books before Arizona voters adopted a constitutional amendment that guaranteed the right to an abortion in November 2024.
Republican state legislators had intervened in the lawsuit to defend the laws. A spokesperson for Arizona Senate Republicans said they would appeal the ruling.
The lawsuit was filed by two OB-GYN doctors and the Arizona Medical Association. One of the doctors, Paul Isaacson, said in a statement that the ruling would remove restrictions that have stood in the way of patient care.
“For the first time in a long time, my patients will not have to jump through hoops to get the care they need,” Isaacson said.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat who was elected after the laws were passed, said the ruling was a victory for Arizona women, families, and their doctors.
"This ruling affirms that Arizona women have a constitutional right to access the reproductive healthcare they need, without unnecessary government interference," Mayes said in a statement. "Doctors must be allowed to provide care based on their medical judgment, not on the beliefs of anti-abortion politicians."
(Editing by Rod Nickel and Nia Williams)
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