Shawnna Bolick spoke continuously for 20 minutes without pausing. The politician who supports traditional ideas was arguing in a strong way in the Arizona Senate, controlled by the Republican party, about a law to get rid of a rule from 1864 that prohibits almost all abortions.
The Democrats needed to get one more vote from the right to move the bill forward.
Bolick, feeling sad and struggling to speak, talked about her three hard pregnancies, and one of them ended in a miscarriage. She said she couldn’t have made it without her husband’s support.
Her husband, Clint Bolick, who is a judge in the Arizona Supreme Court, was one of the majority that voted in April to bring back the almost complete ban.
People in the audience booed when the senator said she was “pro-life. ” It was only at the end of her speech that her true intentions became clear.
“I am here to keep more babies safe,” she said. “I say yes when I vote. ”
The bill was approved and the next day, on May 2, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs officially made it a law.
Shawnna Bolick voted to get rid of a law that makes it almost impossible to have an abortion in Arizona. Her husband helped bring back this law, so her vote shows how confused and messy the rules about abortion are in Arizona. It also shows that national Republicans are having a hard time figuring out what to do about abortion during a presidential election year.
This might be a problem for the judge and the senator. Both said no to being interviewed by The Associated Press.
Shawnna and Clint Bolick met in Washington at an event put on by the Heritage Foundation, which is a conservative research center. They have been friends with US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for a long time. He is the godfather to one of Clint Bolick’s sons. Clarence Thomas and his wife Ginni are both conservative political activists.
Clarence Thomas helped to change a law from 1973 in 2022. This is something he wanted for over 30 years. He also tried to convince his coworkers to change laws that protect marriage between people of the same sex, gay relationships, and the use of birth control.
After the 2020 president election, Ginni Thomas sent emails telling Republican lawmakers in Arizona, like Shawnna Bolick, to pick their own electors to reverse Joe Biden’s win in the state. Bolick, who was a state representative at the time, suggested a new law in the next year to change Arizona’s election rules. The new law would allow state lawmakers to cancel election results before the president is sworn in. However, her idea didn’t get voted on and was not passed.
Despite being conservative, they are being criticized as Clint Bolick tries to stay on the bench for six more years. His wife, who was appointed last year to represent her district in Phoenix, is also facing a primary challenge on July 30th.
After the top court made its decision, people on the right started asking to cancel the almost complete ban right away. On social media, US Rep David Schweikert, who is a member of the Republican party, said that the court made laws instead of just interpreting them. Former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey also said that the court’s decision did not show what the majority of people wanted.
A liberal group started a campaign against Justices Bolick and Kathryn King because they voted to bring back a 160-year-old ban on abortion. They are both running for re-election in November.
Abigail Jackson, who works for Progress Arizona, said people in Arizona can make sure judges and justices do their job. “We want to tell people in Arizona that two judges will be on the ballot in November. We encourage them to focus on trying to remove these judges from their positions. ”
People don’t usually vote against a judge who is already in office when it’s time for them to be re-elected. It has only happened six times since Arizona started its system for judges to be re-elected in 1974.
Democrats are focusing on the abortion ruling as they try to gain control of the state Legislature for the first time in a long time. Sen. Bolick is one of the main people the other party is trying to beat in the upcoming election because he represents an important area in the state.
Bolick spoke on the floor and said she wants to get rid of extreme measures that would make abortion rights a permanent part of the state’s constitution. She said she wants to limit the number of abortions in the state.
Arizona Policy Center, who is against abortion, criticized her decision to repeal, saying she sided with lawmakers who support abortion.
Some Republican friends said yes.
“Senator Jake Hoffman said that she has made the pro-life community confused. ” “Don’t be mistaken, everyone watching and listening to me right now, and everyone who will hear it, she supported abortions. ”
The repeal bill won’t start until 90 days after the state’s legislative session ends, usually in June or July. During the Civil War period, a ban on abortions was in place. But recently, the high court stopped this ban and made a new law that bans abortions after 15 weeks in Arizona.
But laws about abortion could change if Arizona voters say yes to a new law in November. This law would make it legal to have an abortion up to 24 weeks into a pregnancy. The organizers are planning to submit plenty of signatures before July 3rd.
Tag: Arizona
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Abortion legislation from 1864 was revived by an Arizona judge – Shawnna Bolick
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1864 nearly total ban on abortion lifted by Arizona lawmakers
The Arizona government has agreed to get rid of a very old rule against almost all abortions on Wednesday. The bill will now go to Gov Katie Hobbs, who is from the Democratic party and is likely to approve it.
Two members of the Republican party and members of the Democratic party in the Senate voted 16-14 to get rid of a ban on abortions that has been in place since the Civil War. This ban was recently allowed to be enforced by the state’s highest court. The ban on all abortions is still in place. It doesn’t have any exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, and only allows for procedures done to save the patient’s life. This will continue until the fall.
Hobbs said she’s excited to sign the repeal soon, with a ceremony planned for Thursday.
Hobbs said that women in Arizona shouldn’t have to live in a state where politicians are making decisions that should be made between a woman and her doctor. “The repeal is needed to save women’s lives, but we still have a lot more to do to protect healthcare for women. ”
Reviving a law from the 1800s has made Republicans in Arizona feel like they are in a difficult position. Arizona is one of a few states where the outcome of the election will be very important.
“Women all over the country are experiencing chaos and cruelty because of Donald Trump,” said Vice-President Kamala Harris in a statement on Wednesday. Arizona Democrats are trying to fix the problems caused by Trump and his followers, but the state’s ban on abortion, with no exception for rape or incest, is still the law.
If the repeal bill is signed, a new law will make it illegal to have an abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy in Arizona. However, for a period of time, almost all abortions may become illegal, because the repeal will not take place until 90 days after the end of the legislative session, which will probably be in June or July.
Efforts started immediately to stop the old abortion ban from happening before the repeal happens.
Arizona’s Attorney General Kris Mayes said that without a special rule, the people of Arizona might have to follow the almost complete ban on abortion for some time this year. “Don’t worry, my office is looking at every choice we have to stop this old law from happening. ”
Planned Parenthood Arizona asked the state’s highest court to stop a temporary halt in abortion services until the law changing the rules is in place.
The law that mostly stops abortions has been around since before Arizona became a state. Last month, the Arizona Supreme Court said that doctors could be charged with a crime for helping with an abortion. The law from 1864 says that anyone who helps with an abortion can go to jail for two to five years. Last week, the repeal bill barely passed in the Arizona House.
Voting on the bill took over an hour on Wednesday, with emotional speeches.
Democratic state Sen Eva Burch said, “This is about a law from the Civil War time that makes it a crime for doctors to perform almost all abortions. ” “We’re here to get rid of a law that is not good. ” I don’t think we should follow laws about women that were made when women were not allowed to vote because people thought their opinions were not as important as men’s.
Burch said on the Senate floor in March that she had a pregnancy that wasn’t going to survive, so she was going to have an abortion. On Wednesday, she told supporters of women’s ability to choose to have children that they still need to be careful, even after the law is changed.
“They will use all available resources to try to stop the ban from being lifted,” she said.Many people in the Senate gallery caused disturbances while Republican state Sen Shawnna Bolick explained her vote to repeal a law and sided with the Democrats.
Bolick said that getting rid of the law would protect against very strong abortion rights proposals. She is married to Clint Bolick, who is a judge, and he voted to allow a law from a long time ago about abortion to be enforced again.
The senator said he wants to make sure that our state constitution limits the number of abortions. “I am here to keep more babies safe. ” I say yes when voting.
Supporters and opponents of abortion came to the Arizona Senate to speak out about their opinions.
A young girl prayed in front of a statue of Mary at school while a man yelled at people to ask for forgiveness.
Ex-president Donald Trump didn’t support a national abortion ban, but he’s happy he chose Supreme Court judges who allowed states to make it illegal. He’s worried it could make Republicans lose elections.
The Arizona law was stopped after the US Supreme Court’s decision in the Roe v. Wade case in 1973. Wade’s decision made sure that women all over the country have the right to get an abortion.
When the decision of Roe v Wade was canceled in June 2022, the former Arizona Attorney General, Mark Brnovich, who is a Republican, convinced a state judge that the ban from 1864 could be enforced again. However, the law has not been put into action while the case was going through the courts. Mayes, who took over for Brnovich, asked the state’s highest court not to bring back the law.
Planned Parenthood will make sure that patients can go to New Mexico and California for an abortion if they need to.
Supporters are gathering signatures for a vote to make it legal to have an abortion up to around 24 weeks into a pregnancy, with exceptions for when the parent’s life is in danger or to protect her physical or mental health.
Republican politicians are thinking about having different plans about abortion on the November voting list. -
Arizona House sends bill to Senate to abolish nearly complete ban on abortion
The state House in Arizona voted to approve a proposal to lift almost all restrictions on abortions. Republicans faced a lot of pressure over this issue for two weeks. This has been a difficult issue for former U.S leaders President Donald Trump is trying to become president again.
Three Republicans and 29 Democrats worked together to get rid of a law in Arizona that doesn’t make any exceptions for rape or incest and has been around since before the state became official. If the Senate says yes, Arizona will let women have abortions up to 15 weeks.
Trump and US Senate candidate Kari Lake wanted Arizona lawmakers to make it easier for women to get abortions because their plans for politics were in danger because many people were against a nearly complete ban on abortions. However, before Wednesday, many Republicans in the state House used procedural votes to stop the repeal. This made President Joe Biden, a Democrat, very upset because he strongly believes in the right to have an abortion. He has been focusing on this issue in his campaign for re-election.
“Arizonans are living in the past because Donald Trump got rid of Roe v. Wade,” said Democratic state Sen. Priya Sundareshan from Tucson spoke at a news event on Wednesday held by the Biden campaign and the Arizona Democratic Party.
The repeal vote happened the day after Biden said Trump made it harder for women to get health care.
Many people stood outside the state Capitol and then went inside to watch as lawmakers voted. Some of them had signs or wore shirts to show they disagreed with abortion rights.
Arizona Republicans are feeling pressure because some of the people who support them want to ban abortion. But, this is causing problems with other voters who are undecided and will make important decisions in elections. The Senate and the GOP control the government.
The Republican representative said he is very upset today. Rachel Jones did not want to cancel something. “Life is an important part of our Republican beliefs. ” I feel very upset when I see people not following that value.
The highest court in Arizona decided that the state can start using a law that allows abortions only when the patient’s life is in danger. The decision said doctors could be charged under a law from 1864 that punishes people who help with abortions with two to five years in prison.
A week ago, one Republican and all Democrats in the Arizona House voted to get rid of a law, but it didn’t pass.
The law was stopped after the US Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision said that it’s a constitutional right to have an abortion all over the country.
After the court decided to change Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich convinced a state judge to enforce the 1864 ban. However, the law has not been put into action while the case has been going through the courts. Kris Mayes, who is the new Attorney General and a Democrat, asked the state’s highest court not to bring back the law.
Mayes says the law might start on June 8. But the anti-abortion group, Alliance Defending Freedom, says that county prosecutors can start enforcing it when the Supreme Court’s decision is final, which will likely be this week.
If the Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs agree, a new law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy would become the main rule for abortions in 2022.
Planned Parenthood promises to keep doing abortions as long as it’s still allowed. They will also find ways to help patients go to other states like New Mexico and California for abortions.
Last summer, people who support abortion rights started an effort to have Arizona voters make a new law that says women have the right to choose abortion.
The new law would make sure women can have an abortion up to around 24 weeks into their pregnancy, when the baby could live outside the womb. It would also permit abortions at a later stage if it’s necessary to save the parent’s life or to protect her physical or mental well-being.
Republican politicians are thinking about adding different ideas about abortion to the voting choices in November.
A secret document showed what House Republicans are thinking about for abortion laws. They might make existing regulations into laws, make a 14-week ban that looks like a 15-week law, and stop abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
House Republicans have not told anyone about the plans they have for voting. -
Four people die in hot air balloon disaster in Arizona desert
Four people died when a hot air balloon crashed in Arizona on Sunday. Another person was very badly hurt.
The event happened at about 7:50 in the morning in Eloy, a desert area about 65 miles south of Phoenix.
The police said that five people were on the balloon when it crashed.
We don’t know what caused the incident.
The police in Eloy are working with the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration to find out why it happened.
“The balloon had a serious problem,” local police told a CBS affiliate on Sunday.
When the big balloon started flying on Sunday, there were 13 grown-ups on board. The Mayor said there was one person flying the balloon, four people just going for a ride, and eight people jumping out of the sky.
The accident happened right after the skydivers finished their jump, according to Eloy Police Chief Byron Gwaltney.
Investigators got to the place of the crash right after it happened to check the balloon that had crashed. The NTSB called it a Cameron Balloons A160 aircraft.
The accident is still being looked into, but the NTSB found that the balloon had a problem with its envelope.
The Eloy Police Department hasn’t said who was in the crash on Sunday, but CNN reported that the family of Katie Bartrom, a 28-year-old nurse, said she was one of the people who died.
Jennifer Hubartt, Bartrom’s mom, said to a CNN affiliate: “She was a wonderful person, she just became a nurse and was doing well by herself. ”
Mayor Powell said that Eloy has a lot of people who like to go skydiving because it has a big area where skydivers can land.
Officials said the object will be taken to a safe place to be checked more carefully.
The police are asking for your help and good wishes for the families and loved ones who are going through a tough time. -
29 years death row inmate for the murder of a 4-year-old freed
A guy who spent 29 years on death row in Arizona for the murder of a child has been freed after the conviction was overturned.
Although Barry Lee Jones was found guilty of murder, sexual assault, and child abuse in 1995, he has steadfastly maintained his innocence.
He was given a death sentence, but was eventually freed after his legal team reached a settlement with the prosecution that allowed him to admit guilt to a lesser offence and get a sentence reduction for time served.
Barry Jones is finally returning home after spending nearly 30 years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit, according to federal public attorney Cary Sandman.
In 1994, Jones brought Rachel Gray, his girlfriend’s four-year-old daughter, to a hospital in Tucson. She was declared dead on arrival from bowel laceration, which doctors determined was from ‘blunt abdominal trauma.’
Gray was in Jones’s care the entire day before her death, which lead police to believe that he beat and sexually abused her, causing her injuries.
But Jones has insisted on his innocence for decades. After reexamining his case, legal experts came to the conclusion that his court-appointed lawyer failed to adequately investigate how Gray was injured the night before.
A second investigation years later revealed that Gray was most likely injured the day before when a neighborhood boy hit her in the stomach with a metal bar.
‘The flawed evidence supporting Barry’s convictions and death sentence resulted from a combination of shoddy and constitutionally deficient defense lawyering, junk science and myopic police work,’ Sandman said.
A federal judge vacated Jones’s conviction in 2018, but he remained in prison while prosecutors appealed to the Supreme Court. In 2022, the high court reversed the appeals court decision, and Jones was placed back on death row.
But the Supreme Court ruling did allow for state courts in Arizona to reconsider the evidence against Jones.
Jones’s legal team struck a deal with prosecutors – he would plead guilty to the charge of second-degree murder for not taking Gray to the hospital earlier after seeing her injuries, and the state would drop all other charges.
Jones was sentenced to 25 years in prison, and given credit for the entire sentence for the 29 years he already spent behind bars.
‘These are some of the most difficult decisions we face as prosecutors, trying to balance the rule of the law and in this case holding someone accountable for the death of an innocent 4-year-old child,’ Pima County District Attorney Laura Conover said.
‘To this end, Mr Jones has been held more than accountable.’
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Man arrested on DUI charges in Arizona was driving with an Owl in his car
Police in Arizona found quite the surprise after pulling over a man on DUI charges this week.
CBS 11 reports the Payson Police Department discovered a live owl riding shotgun in a car being driven by a man suspected of DUI charges. According to police, the driver claimed he illegally bought the owl for $100 from a person at a gas station. The gas station attendant told him they’d found the owl on the side of the road.
“Wildlife should remain wild,” the department said on Facebook. “It is illegal to possess, transport, buy, or sell wildlife unless expressly permitted by Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS 17-309).”
“The Payson Police Department would also like to take this opportunity to encourage the public not to use methamphetamine or you too may find yourself illegally purchasing a wild owl, for $100, in the middle of the night, from strangers, at a local gas station,” the department added.
The unidentified man was charged with aggravated DUI, possession of methamphetamine, and possession/transport/purchase of wildlife.
Meanwhile, the owl is currently under the care of Arizona Game and Fish, which is treating the animal for minor injuries.
“We think she got knocked around or jostled somehow in that tumultuous night she had,” said Liberty Wildlife’s Wildlife Biologist, Laura Hackett. “The officer handled it like a pro, so he has a good story to take home to his family.”
Source: Complex.com
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Democrat Mark Kelly wins in Arizona senate race, with overall control still in the balance
Former astronaut Mark Kelly has defeated his republican rival in Arizona’s senate race, with just two more seats left to be decided.
In a statement, the 58-year-old Mr Kelly, the incumbent senator, said: “Thank you to the people of Arizona for re-electing me to the United States Senate.
“From day one, this campaign has been about the many Arizonans – Democrats, Independents, and Republicans – who believe in working together to tackle the significant challenges we face.
“That’s exactly what I’ve done in my first two years in office and what I will continue to do for as long as I’m there.
“It’s been one of the great honors of my life to serve as Arizona’s senator.
Mr Kelly is a former US Navy captain and retired astronaut who made four trips into space, including missions delivering equipment, supplies, and crew to the International Space Station.
His Republican rival for the Arizona seat was Blake Masters, a 36-year-old venture capitalist.
mage:Mr Kelly and his Republican challenger Blake Masters. Pic: AP I If Mr Kelly’s victory leaves the senate tied at 49-49, with control hinging on contests in Nevada and Georgia.
The Democrats need one more seat, as Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tie-breaking vote.
In Nevada, incumbent Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto is within 800 votes of the Republican state attorney general Adam Laxalt.
The outcome in Georgia could be weeks away, with Democrat incumbent Raphael Warnock to face Republican Herschel Walker in a 6 December run-off.
In the fight for control of the House of Representatives, Republicans are edging closer to taking the majority – a move that would end four years of Democrat rule.
Republicans had at least 211 of the 218 seats they needed on Thursday, according to Edison Research projections.
The Democrats had won 199, with many of the undecided races in Arizona, California, and Washington state.
If the Republicans do cement a House victory, they would be able to veto President Joe Biden’s agenda, severely limiting any progress he might have hoped to make between now and the 2024 election.
Source: Skynews.com