Gov. Katie Hobbs has vowed to sign repeal bill.
Arizona’s near-total abortion ban will be repealed just weeks after the state’s Supreme Court ruled it enforceable.
The Arizona House narrowly passed the repeal on April 24 as three Republicans joined with Democrats to approve the measure.
On May 1, the state Senate followed suit in a 16–14 vote—but not before several disappointed senators had the opportunity to air their grievances.
“What we’re actually voting on is death,” state Sen. Anthony Kern said, chiding the members of his Republican party who voted with Democrats in support of the repeal.
“The Democrat Party stands and runs on death. The Republican Party stands and is supposed to run on life.”
State Sen. Sonny Borrelli, meanwhile, objected to the fact that the bill was never sent to a committee, nor was any time allotted for debate or amendments. And during one particularly emotional moment, state Sen. Justine Wadsack recounted her own tragic loss of a child by miscarriage.
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“God chose when that heartbeat was going to stop,” Ms. Wadsack said, tears streaming down her face. “It is not my place as a senator to determine when a child’s heart stops beating.”
The abortion ban prohibits all abortions in Arizona