April 9, 2024

Today, Arizona Democratic Chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano held a press conference with Arizona’s top officials committed to protecting reproductive rights including Attorney General Kris Mayes, Biden-Harris 2024 National Advisory Board member and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, State Senator and Democratic Minority Whip Eva Burch, Representative Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton and Abortion Provider Dr. Atsuko Koyama to speak out against the recent Arizona Supreme Court ruling, upholding the 1864 abortion ban without exception for rape or incest.

Abortion rights have been at the frontline of the 2024 election cycle in Arizona, as Democrats have consistently fought to enshrine these rights and Republicans have taken every opportunity to ban reproductive healthcare access. 

• Donald Trump constantly brags about overturning Roe.
• Every single Arizona Congressional Republican has sponsored or supported the Life at Conception Act which would ban all abortions and does not exclude IVF treatments. 
• In April, Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed House Bill 2427, a Rep. Gress-sponsored bill establishing the foundation in Arizona for fetal personhood, opening the door for banning reproductive healthcare services such as IVF.
• In March, Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli said Arizonans should “put [Aspirin] Between Your Knees’ ‘ to prevent pregnancy while speaking against contraceptives. 
• Governor Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes have urged the Supreme Court to protect access to Mifepristone, a safe medication abortion, as they begin hearings on stripping away access. 

As Arizonans head to the ballot box in November, Arizonans for Abortion Access has organized more than 500,000 signatures for their ballot initiative, which would reinstate Roe protections statewide.

The following quotes can be attributed to the corresponding participants of today’s press conference:

ADP Chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano: “When abortion is on the ballot, Democrats win. Arizonans remember Gov. Doug Ducey and the Republican legislature pushing through a 15-week ban after Donald Trump was able to get Roe overturned; they remember Congressional Republicans sponsoring legislation that seeks to ban abortion nationwide; and now they will remember state Rep. Matt Gress, Rep. David Schweikert, Rep. Juan Ciscomani, Kari Lake, and every single Republican in Arizona who pushed for this ban. Arizonans will usher in a pro-choice Democratic majority in our legislature, send Joe Biden back to the White House, and once again reject abortion extremism to secure the US House and Senate.”  

Mayor Kate Gallego: “Today should send a clear message to Arizonans: to restore Roe and protect abortion rights once and for all, we must reelect President Biden. Under Donald Trump, the Republican Party has pushed and will continue pushing for a cruel national abortion ban that is also wildly unpopular. That’s why, from now until November, we will to work together to ensure Donald Trump and those threatening women’s reproductive freedoms are resoundingly defeated.”

Senator Eva Burch: “The decision to choose when and how to start a family belongs to each of us as individuals. Extremist Republicans at every level of government have been undermining these rights for years, and we have had enough. Arizona Democrats are ready to do whatever it takes to protect the people of Arizona from these out-of-touch extremist policies, and take it to the ballot in November.” 

Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton: “The court’s decision today is the beginning, not the end of the Republicans mission to strip Arizonans abortion rights. The Republican controlled legislature is coming after contraceptives, IVF, and Arizonans access to basic reproductive healthcare. This November we need to flip the legislature and usher in a Democratic reproductive rights majority to ensure that Arizonans never lose their freedoms again.” 

Dr. Atsuko Koyama: “Abortion has effectively been banned in Arizona and I will be unable to provide the care my patients deserve. We need to continue to fight tirelessly to ensure the ballot measure passes and that we have Democratic champions representing Arizonans up and down the ballot to ensure our reproductive rights, including access to abortion, are never taken away again.”