Arizona governor signs ban on abortions after 15 weeks

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed a bill on Wednesday that would ban abortions after 15 weeks, following in the footsteps of several other Republican governors who have made similar moves in recent months.

The bill signed by Ducey makes it illegal for a doctor to perform an abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for medical emergencies. 

If a doctor does perform an abortion after 15 weeks, they can be charged with a felony and have their medical license revoked if found guilty in court. 

However, no legal charges can be filed against a woman who receives an abortion past 15 weeks. 

“In Arizona, we know there is immeasurable value in every life – including preborn life,” Ducey said in a letter after he signed the bill. “I believe it is each state’s responsibility to protect them.”

“This very issue is pending before the United States Supreme Court now in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. It has been said that a society should be judged by the way they care for the vulnerable among us. In Arizona, we will continue to protect life to the greatest extent possible,” Ducey said. 

The governor’s office said in a statement Wednesday that data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows in 2019 that 92.7 percent of abortions occurred before 13 weeks. 

Along with the ban on abortion, the governor also signed into law a ban on gender-affirming surgeries before the age of 18 and outlawed transgender women participating in women’s sports. 

The law does not prohibit puberty blocking hormones but targets surgeries that are deemed “irreversible” until a person is an adult.