For Immediate Release
Wednesday, Oct. 5th, 2022
Contact: Josselyn Berry, Jberry@azdem.org
Kari Lake Triples Down on Support for Unpopular Abortion Ban
PHOENIX–Kari Lake is tripling down on her extreme and unpopular stance on abortion after an interview Tuesday where she claimed she was “confused” about the territorial abortion ban being law in Arizona. When asked in the radio interview whether she would support allowing abortion in cases of rape and incest — both are illegal under the total abortion ban and the 15-week law she supports — Lake refused to give a clear answer.
A spokesman for Kari Lake clarified Tuesday that Lake is not calling for changes to Arizona’s extreme 1901 abortion law, weeks after a judge ruled that prosecutors can enforce a near-total ban on terminating pregnancies that requires jail time for doctors or nurses, and has no exceptions for rape or incest.
The rest of Arizona knows all too well that this draconian territorial-era law is now the law of the land, and the judge reaffirmed that refusing to hear an appeal. Lake knows exactly what the law is in Arizona because she has been one of its biggest cheerleaders, rooting for this exact law to take effect. As the Arizona Republic reported, “Lake has not budged from her staunch opposition to abortion,” despite a majority of Arizonans supporting access to abortion and it becoming a top issue in this election.
“When Lake says she has no interest in changing the current law she is saying she has no interest in allowing exceptions for rape or incest. She supports jailing doctors. She has no worries about blocking women from life-saving medication or cancer treatments. She has no concern for Arizona women, period,” said Josselyn Berry, spokesperson for the Arizona Democratic Party.
Let’s Take a Look At Kari Lake’s Long Record on Abortion:
After a pre-statehood law banning abortions and criminalizing doctors is again law, Kari Lake went on Fox News where she doubled down on her support for the abortion ban, saying “I’m pro-life. I’ve never backed away from that and never will.” Talking to AZ Family, Lake tried to feign confusion over which Arizona abortion ban was in effect.
Lake responded to the SCOTUS decision overturning Roe by saying she supports the 1901 Arizona law and celebrated the 1901 ban as a “great law” during a forum in February and said she would support and enforce it during the Republican primary debate. Lake even knew the 1901 abortion ban well enough to memorize the statute number. In a June 24th interview with the Conservative Circus, Lake said, “I’m incredibly thrilled that we are going to have a great law that’s already on the books, I believe it’s ARS 13-3603.”
Lake has referred to people who seek abortion care as “executioners” and has repeatedly called abortion “murder,” framing women who seek abortion care as murderers, saying, “I believe that taking the life of an unborn child is murder.” She’s said “I am pro-life 100%. I’m against abortion,” opposing exceptions for rape and incest or the life of the woman. When asked if she supported exceptions for rape and incest, Lake said, “I don’t believe that any child should be killed in a mother’s womb” and that “abortion is the ultimate sin.” In a June interview on Fox News and in the GOP primary debate, Lake also said she supports outlawing abortion pills.