Abortions can continue in Arizona until at least June 8, AG says
Download mp3 (1.13 MB)Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes says the earliest the state’s near-total abortion ban could take effect is June 8.
When the state Supreme Court last week said Arizona should follow an 1864 ban on nearly all abortions, it delayed enforcement of the law for two weeks while parties in the case cleared up remaining legal issues. But another Superior Court order from a separate abortion case had previously set a 45-day delay for enforcement. That raised questions about when the law would actually go into effect.
In a video posted to X Tuesday, Mayes said Arizona doctors would be free to continue providing abortions under the state's 15-week law at least until early June.
"Absent any additional litigation or action by the Legislature, the earliest date this law could take effect is June 8, 2024," Mayes said in the video. "And while we are still analyzing the best legal options to take, rest assured I will do everything in my power to stop this law from ever taking effect."
Mayes, a Democrat, has been outspoken about her opposition to the near-total abortion ban, saying she would not prosecute anyone under the law if it were to take effect.
In her video statement, Mayes called on the state legislature to repeal the ban. If it were to take effect, she said she has already contacted California’s attorney general to explore the option of emergency medical licenses for Arizona providers.
