Last Monday, Donald Trump said that abortion rights were best left to the states.
“The states,” he said, “will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land.
In this case, the law of the state.”The next day, as if answering a captain’s call to fire from the line, the Republican-led Arizona Supreme Court, in an uncanny coincidence, revived a 160-year-old abortion ban, with no exceptions for either rape or incest.
In a 4-to-2 decision, the court held that the 1864 ban was “enforceable” and not superseded by more recent legislation.
It does not escape my attention that this law owes its rebirth to an effort by Doug Ducey, then the governor, to expand the Arizona Supreme Court’s membership from five to seven justices.
Persons:
Donald Trump, ”, “, Doug Ducey, Ducey
Organizations:
Republican, Arizona Supreme
Locations:
Arizona