Arizona Organizers Say They Have More Than Enough Signatures for an Abortion Ballot Measure

CBS News ^ | April 3, 2024 | Shawna Mizelle

[nickcarraway]

A group hoping to put an amendment enshrining the right to abortion in Arizona's constitution said Tuesday that they had gathered enough signatures for the measure to qualify for the ballot in November.

There is a requirement for the collection of 383,923 signatures of support for constitutional amendments in Arizona, and Dawn Penich, communications manager for Arizona for Abortion Access, said they have amassed more than 500,000 signatures already.

NBC News was first to report on the signatures.

Penich said they plan to turn the signatures in closer to the deadline in early July and acknowledged there could be legal challenges on the language and single subject requirements.

Arizona currently has a 15-week abortion ban in place. The ban, which was signed into law in 2022, includes exceptions in cases of medical emergencies and has restrictions on medication abortion and requires an ultrasound before an abortion and parental consent for minors.

The Arizona Supreme Court is also reviewing whether or not a centuries-old ban law banning nearly all abortions, with exceptions for the life and health of the mother should go into effect.

The proposed constitutional amendment would provide a fundamental right to an abortion and restrict the state from adopting or enforcing any law that would prohibit access to the procedure.

Penich said the lack of exceptions past 15 weeks causes harm to the "very real realities that pregnant patients go through."

"So, you know, we wanted to make sure that what we do restores that decision making power to the people who actually are impacted and who actually understand what's going on, which is the patient, their own provider, and you know, in consultation with their family," she said.

Tuesday's announcement came on the heels of a Florida Supreme Court decision that allowed an abortion ballot measure to move forward and underscores the push to address abortion on a state level following the Supreme Court Dobbs decision that upended federal protections on the procedure.

There are also efforts underway to get abortion on the ballot in multiple other states.

Abortion ballot questions have been successful in every state where they have appeared. President Biden and Democrats are hoping to capitalize on that, championing Mr. Biden as the candidate who would restore protections from Roe v. Wade and block a national ban if passed by Congress.

An abortion ballot measure could have wide-ranging implications as Arizona is a crucial battleground state that Mr. Biden won in 2020 with nearly 10,500 votes more than Donald Trump. Mr. Biden was the first Democrat to win in a presidential election since 1996.

Trump has not offered a definitive stance on his abortion policy, but he has floated the possibility of a ban at 15 or 16 weeks.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday in Green Bay, Wisconsin the former president said he would be "making a statement next week on abortion."

[Highest Authority]

What is this, the 1960s? A very old argument!

[Liz]

In 2004, the stunning actress, Jennifer O'Neill (Summer of '42) wrote and published "From Fallen to Forgiven," biographical notes and thoughts about life and existence.

O'Neill recounted how she underwent an abortion at age 22. Her regrets over the experience contributed to her becoming an anti-abortion activist and a born-again Christian in 1986 at age 38.

She writes: "I was told a lie from the pit of hell: that my baby was just a blob of tissue. The aftermath of abortion can be equally deadly for both mother and unborn child. A woman who has an abortion is sentenced to bear that for the rest of her life."

O'Neill continues to be an inspirational speaker, and fundraiser for crisis pregnancy centers across the United States. She has also served as the spokesperson for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, for people who regret having abortions. She also began counseling abstinence to teens.

[CatOwner]

Another state lost to Biden.

[butlerweave]

AI creates signatures ?

[thegagline]

Democrats are going to make abortion the top issue in an attempt to get the white suburban women's vote.

[nwrep]

Biden will get 400 Electoral votes with this strategy. Brilliant!

[thegagline]

Biden will get 400 Electoral votes with this strategy. Brilliant!

Is it too late to repeal the Nineteenth Amendment? (I’m joking…or am I?)

[CatOwner]

And possibly 100 million ballots counted for him.

[libh8er]

This is not about abortion. It’s about increasing Democrat turnout.

[Trumpette1954]

I’ve gotten to the point that I don’t care if the women on the left have abortions. I say go for it because that will be a lot less children that will be born to and raised by far left liberal white females. Is that too harsh?

[alternatives?]

At first the right to abortion was dictated by the elites for the nation with many states preferring restrictions. Over time most states have moved toward the voters wanting unlimited abortion. I have a hard time believing that God will not punish the nation further for this descent into evil.

[Preachin']

I wish the GOP would work harder to get our items on the ballot. We can counter these folks to some degree using the same method.

There have to be plenty of items in each state that would get more people on the right to turn out.

[Obadiah]

Yup. I am staunchly against abortion, but the timing of this is highly suspect, IMO. We all know that abortion issue is catnip to the suburban women. To mysteriously gin this up in a presidential year seems to be of nefarious intent.

[kenmcg]

These folks will derail Trump’s chances in AZ. Get in power first and then reform abortion. Pubbies with the aid of the RATS always shoot themselves in the foot .

[Dr. Sivana]

The petitioners are very clever. They stick a petition in the faces of people at busy events (e.g. Barrett Jackson car shows) and say that it is for “women’s rights”.

Many people signing it don’t read the text.

They are also offering something in the neighborhood of $25 to get petition gatherers. Money theys got.

[willk]

Who could have imagined that the death of babies could lead to the death of our country. WTH is wrong with these women?

[cowboyusa]

Go play with your cats, and leave us alone troll.

[cowboyusa]

Go play with your cats, and leave us alone troll.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

American women don’t care if they can afford the basics of life, don’t care if their jobs are destroyed, don’t care if the country is over-run by third world invaders, don’t care if their money is sent off to fund foreign wars to launder back to their terminally corrupt politicians, don’t care if their society and government goes fully fascist. Don’t care about their first or second amendment rights.

As long as it is enshrined in law that they get to commit murder of their own offspring freely, with the full blessing of their government, they’re good.

The only good thing about this is that if there’s ever been a nation that desperately needed to be completely wiped off the face of the Earth for the good of all mankind, it’s the United States of America.