Arizona Passes Bills to Protect Babies, Minors and Female Athletes
Pro-family legislators in Arizona have successfully passed three family-friendly bills that are on their way to Governor Doug Ducey for signature, including a 15-week abortion ban, a ban on transgender surgeries for minors, and a bill banning males from competing in girls and women’s athletics.
The 15-week abortion ban, also known as SB 1164, is similar to the Mississippi law that is currently being considered by the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The law prohibits abortions after 15 weeks gestation, with an exception for medical emergencies. About 5% of the state’s abortions in 2020 – 636 of them – occurred after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The bill does not affect the state’s long-standing total ban on abortion, which is currently unenforceable but would go into effect should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, which is just one of the potential outcomes in the Dobbs case to be decided before the end of June. But if the Supreme Court upholds the Mississippi law without overturning Roe, the 15-week ban will become the law in Arizona.
It is unknown whether Gov. Ducey will sign the bill into law, but he has signed other pro-life bills since taking office in 2015.
The legislature also passed a ban on transgender surgeries for minors. The bill, SB 1138, provides:
“A physician or other health care professional may not provide gender transition procedures to any individual who is under eighteen years of age.”
The law does not apply to minors with medically verifiable disorders such as being born without normal chromosome structure, which is exceedingly rare.
The final piece of legislation of the trio of family-friendly bills passed by the Arizona legislature is the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” SB 1165, which prohibits males from competing in female sports in the state’s schools.
“Athletic teams or sports designated for ‘females,’ ‘women’ or ‘girls’ may not be open to students of the male sex,” the bill states. And “sex” means “biological sex.”
The Center for Arizona Policy (CAP), headed up by President Cathi Herrod, is a public policy organization and ally of Focus on the Family. In an email to its constituents after passage of the three bills, CAP lauded the legislature’s accomplishment.
“Three crucial bills headed to the Governor’s desk will protect preborn babies and their mothers, protect children struggling with gender confusion, and protect girls’ and women’s sports,” the CAP statement reads.
“With these votes, lawmakers showed their commitment to protecting the vulnerable in the face of loud opposition from pro-abortion and other activists.
“The passage of these bold bills displays the courage of Arizona lawmakers to sponsor and stand for much needed legislation that addresses the critical issues of our culture today. They will soon head to the Governor’s desk for a signature.”
If you’re an Arizona resident, CAP is asking you to please contact Gov. Ducey and urge him to sign all three bills into law. The governor’s phone number is 602-542-4331, and the three bill numbers are SB 1138, SB 1164, and SB 1165.
Related:
Arizona House Passes Bill to Protect Women’s Sports from Male Athletes
‘Save Women’s Sports’ – On Your State’s Legislative Agenda?
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