09 Apr Nevadans Supporting Reproductive Freedom Respond to Arizona Abortion Ruling That Would Set Rights Back 160 Years

Nevadans Supporting Reproductive Freedom Respond to Arizona Abortion Ruling That Would Set Rights Back 160 Years

LAS VEGAS, NV – This morning, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled to uphold a near-total abortion ban that has been on the books since 1864. This supersedes Arizona’s current abortion restriction which means residents will face a significant change to their ability to get abortion care. Now, Arizonians will not be able to access abortion care unless there is a threat to the life of the mother. Arizona’s ban will now make Nevada’s abortion laws even more important as Arizonians will need to travel to get the care they need. The Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom ballot initiative would enshrine access to abortion in Nevada’s constitution. 

Tova Yampolsky, Campaign Manager for Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom, issued the following statement: 

“Today’s ruling from the Arizona Supreme Court enforcing yet another archaic, cruel, and unnecessary abortion ban means that pregnant Arizonans will suffer unnecessary harm at the hands of their government officials, making the case for passing constitutional protections in Nevada clearer than ever. Over 110,000 Nevadans across the political spectrum have signed the petition to enshrine abortion access into Nevada’s state constitution, and we will continue to fight to ensure that no politician or court can take away the fundamental right to abortion.”

Lindsey Harmon, Executive Director of Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood Affiliates PAC, issued the following statement: 

“Despite continued retractions from the anti-abortion politicians who overturned Roe and made these abortion bans enforceable, the harm caused by the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision only continues to grow as it did in Arizona today. As advocates and a neighboring state to Arizona, we are doubly committed to ensuring that Nevadans, and whoever travels to our state seeking abortion care, are protected through every avenue, including codifying the right to abortion in the Nevada constitution because we know that we can never take anything for granted thanks to anti-abortion politicians like Sam Brown whose record on the issue says more than any sound bite on the campaign trail ever could.”

Denise Lopez, Reproductive Freedom for All Director of Nevada Campaigns, issued the following statement:

“This reckless decision from the Arizona Supreme Court will block even more people from accessing abortion care, putting some people in life-threatening situations. Decisions about pregnancy and abortion should be made by the person who is pregnant—not courts stacked with anti-abortion judges. It’s now more critical than ever that we secure permanent protections for abortion care in our state constitution here in Nevada to protect access here and for all who come to our state seeking care.”

Macy Haverda, Executive Director of Wild West Fund, issued the following statement:

“Yet again, we are witnessing a near-total abortion ban in Arizona after the Arizona Supreme Court upheld an 1864 law that supersedes the state’s current abortion restrictions. With so many states, including Arizona, turning to harsh abortion bans our job is to make sure Nevada remains a state where people are free to make their own reproductive choices. People from Northern Arizona were already traveling to Las Vegas for their reproductive care, and now we can anticipate that we will see more travelers putting undue burden on the lives and livelihoods of those being forced to travel.  We must protect Arizonans’ and Nevadans’ right to access abortion services. The current Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom Ballot Initiative just became all the more important as we must remain a state that protects and upholds reproductive freedom. Enshrining reproductive rights in Nevada is a crucial step toward ensuring individuals seeking abortion care have access no matter their situation.”

Laura Martin, Executive Director, PLAN Action, issued the following statement:

“There is something cruelly ironic about Arizona’s conservative courts revisiting an abortion law that dates back to when chattel slavery was still legal in the United States. And they’ve done it less than 24 hours after one-term, twice impeached, former president who is facing 91 indictments announced he’d support abortion bans nationwide. Make no mistake: this is not a policy debate. This is a threat to the freedom of any person capable of giving birth. Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to rule like a dictator, the Arizona courts just gave us a peek of what his second term will be like.”

Shelbie Swartz, Executive Director of Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement: 

 “This is a moment that shows why ballot measures protecting the right to an abortion are more important than ever, in Arizona and Nevada and across the country. Today’s ruling, resurrecting a near-total ban enacted before Arizona was even a state, will put the health and safety of pregnant people at risk, plain and simple. It would seek to criminalize doctors and sow chaos over a law that hasn’t been enforceable for decades. The highest courts of the land have abdicated responsibility and conceded our rights to a radical fringe that wants to roll back the clock to the 1800s. Nevada is and will remain a safe haven for Arizonans in need of abortion care if the ballot initiative succeeds, no matter what. But this decision is a stark example of what happens when voters are pushed to the side. We must remain committed to protecting Nevadans’ rights, and that starts by enshrining these rights in the Constitution.” 

Background on Abortion Protections in Nevada:

• A 1990 voter referendum codified the protections for abortion as outlined by Roe v. Wade into state law. However, statutory protections do not mean the right is codified in the state constitution
• The petition initiative to enshrine reproductive freedom into the Nevada constitution seeks to build upon and improve existing statutory protections while taking into account the changing abortion access national landscape after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in the summer of 2022.

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