Arizona Abortion Access Act
By: Cheyla Daverman
Arizona is a critical swing state within the 2024 U.S. election landscape. This November’s in-state ballot has many highly anticipated topics for Arizonans to cast their vote on; a front-runner is Abortion.
The Arizona for Abortion Access, or the Triple-A, is a grassroots initiative that began in August of last year. A coalition of reproductive rights advocates gathered to organize the campaign to preserve abortion access by amending the Arizona Constitution.
This initiative could not come at a more critical time, as of April 9, the Arizona Supreme Court reverted to a 106-year-old near-total abortion ban that will go into effect two weeks after this ruling.
Many volunteers have gotten involved with the initiative to help women protect their fundamental rights to make their own healthcare decisions.
That is why Linda Maley, a triple-A volunteer began helping the initiative last summer.
A sign with voter registration information on it outside of the Phoenix Rock Gym
4/2/2024
“I was a young woman prior to Roe v Wade, and I have not told any public official this until now, but I was raped when I was 17 and had an illegal abortion,” Maley said. “When I was in my 20s Roe v Wade passed and it made life for other young women much better than it was for me, and others who had to have illegal abortions. So when the Supreme Court threw Roe v Wade out it was such an affront to women.”
Volunteers, Linda Maley, Barb Rosenberg and Madalyn Friedman (left to right) collect signatures at the Phoenix Rock gym for the Triple-A petition.
4/2/2024
Many other volunteers and organizers share similar stories to Maley’s, strengthening the core goal of the movement. The focus of the amendment is to guarantee the right to an abortion up until fetal viability, this is typically defined as 22-to-24 weeks of pregnancy. The official language of the amendment also specifies preserving the right for abortions to be permitted after this threshold when necessary to protect the physical or mental health of the pregnant person. As well as protecting any healthcare worker(s) or organization(s) involved with the diagnoses and procedural process.
“This issue is about bodily anatomy,” Katherine Yelle, a former Arizona Indivisible petition trainer and campaign manager said. “This is a matter of empathy, it is not up to politics, it’s up to us. Our politicians don’t need to be in the room making decisions for other people.”
The newest regulations date back to 1864, a time before Arizona was a state and women could not vote. The regulations are more extreme than the previous 15-week ban that had been implemented in 2022. Both bans have no exceptions for rape or incest, the only deviation for either of the regulations are to give an abortion if the life of the pregnant person is in immediate danger.
In response to the new regulations being imposed, Arizona Legislative District 9 State Senator Eva Burch shared deeply personal remarks during her time on the floor on March 18 in support of abortion access. Burch is also a trained nurse practitioner making her uniquely qualified to speak on this subject.
“Arizonans really agree that decisions should be between providers and patients and that the legislature should stay out of it,” Burch said.
MacDonald-Evoy, Jerod. Sen. Eva Burch, on the floor of the Arizona Senate, shares her personal story about getting an abortion and why she is in full support of abortion access and reproductive rights. March 18, 2024. Arizona Mirror. Accessed 18 April 2024. Original Image
This new ban introduces the criminalization of abortion treatment in Arizona. Anyone who participates in aiding or performing an abortion can be charged with a felony and if convicted can serve two to five years in prison. Activists find this to be a devastating decision and say that much of what they are fighting for is proper healthcare to save the lives of women who need treatment.
“When you hear these stories about women who just about have to die in the parking lot before doctors can treat them, or they want to give them a (cesarean) section when the right thing to do is just go ahead and give them an abortion,” Beth Ballmann Arizona Indivisible co-captain for the Triple-A said. “It’s just criminal I think to make women suffer in order to have the legislature do this posturing that they’re doing.”
To put the Triple-A measure on the ballot 383,923 signatures are required, but the initiative aims to collect double that amount.
In a recent and critical update, as of
April 2 reproductive rights
organizations announced that 506,892 petition signatures have
been collected.
Much of the petition effort is
propelled by volunteers willing to hit
the pavement and canvas around
Arizona.
A protester signs the Arizona Abortion Access Act petition at the rally for abortion access and reproductive rights. The rally was held in response to the reinstated 1864 near-total abortion ban in Scottsdale.
4/14/2024
“It’s been almost a year since we’ve been working on this,” Maley said. “It’s become much more sophisticated and organized and more people have become excited about working with us and it seems to continue to pick up steam.”
At the onset of the initiative, the Triple-A was acknowledged and endorsed by important members of Arizona legislation, such as Governor Katie Hobbs (D) who has shown her continued support, particularly since the newest ruling. Arizona Attorney General, Kris Mayes, has also publicly announced her support against the abortion ban following the Supreme Court's decision, vowing to continue fighting for bodily autonomy for all Arizonians.
Nationally abortion is now banned at conception or after 6 weeks in 14 states. The remaining states have restrictions varying in their policies’ thresholds and limitations on abortion care. Arizona is now among the states with the strictest abortion regulations, alongside Alabama, Texas and Idho.