The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
December 13, 2023

Arizona, New Mexico Supreme Courts Hear Pivotal Abortion Cases This Week
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Arizona Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday over whether a Civil
War-era, near-total abortion ban should be reinstated, overriding the
current 15-week abortion ban. This is Democratic Attorney General Kris
Mayes.

Attorney General Kris Mayes: "This specific case is about the need to
harmonize Arizona statutes to ensure that women aren't saddled with an
1864 law that was passed before Arizona was a state, before women had
the right to vote and while the Civil War was still raging."

After Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, some Arizona counties
reverted to the 1864 law, which remained on the books but was not
enforced since Roe passed in 1973. The so-called zombie ban does not
make exceptions for rape or incest and also bars anyone from assisting a
pregnant person in getting abortion care.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of New Mexico is hearing arguments today
over whether local governments can impose their own abortion bans even
as the procedure remains legal in the state.


.