Pro-Choice group goes to court to stop new abortion law from taking effect - KVOA Tucson News

TUCSON (KVOA) - Oral arguments took place Wednesday in an abortion case that will determine whether a controversial bill becomes law next week in Arizona.

Set to go into law Sept. 29, SB 1457 was passed on a party-line vote in the legislature and was signed by Gov. Doug Ducey in April. It bans women from getting an abortion solely on the basis of a fetal condition or genetic abnormality like Down syndrome.

Under the new law, doctors who knowingly perform an abortion under these circumstances could be charged with a class 6 felony. Sentences could include fines and more than five years in prison.

The Center for Reproductive Rights says this goes after Roe V. Wade and decades of precedent protecting a woman's right to choose.

"If this law goes into effect, there will be women in Arizona who will be no longer able to get an abortion, who will be forced against their will to carry a pregnancy to term," Emily Nestler Center for Reproductive Rights attorney said.

When he signed the bill this spring, the governor said in a statement:

"There's immeasurable value in every single life — regardless of genetic makeup. We will continue to prioritize protecting life in our preborn children, and this legislation goes a long way in protecting real human lives. My sincere thanks to Senator Nancy Barto for her leadership and work on this life-saving issue."

Nestler argues this is an attempt to infringe on women's rights to make that fundamental choice with her doctor and her family.

"Any suggestion that this is anything other than that or that this is not going to continue if courts don't stop it is fiction. It will continue, this is really only the beginning," Nestler said.

Under SB 1457, if people know about a violation of the ban and fail to report it, they could face a $10,000 fine.

This new law however does not prohibit abortion in cases where the health of the mother is at risk.

The judge's ruling is expected sometime before next Wednesday.

source: https://kvoa.com/news/top-stories/2021/09/22/pro-choice-group-goes-to-court-to-stop-new-abortion-law-from-taking-effect/

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