Arizona GOP Plan to File Competing Abortion Ballot Measures to Confuse Voters: Report
A internal party powerpoint presentation obtained by NBC news details Arizona Republican strategy for November, including plans to file competing ballot initiatives on abortion legalization in that state to confuse voters.
One slide on the powerpoint reads, "PHASE 2: SEND VOTERS TWO OTHER OPTIONS THAT CONFLICT WITH AAA INITIATIVE,” referring to the Arizona for Abortion Access ballot measure, which would enshrine access to abortion in the state constitution. The Arizona for Abortion Access campaign recently announced they had obtained more than enough petition signatures for the measure to appear on the November ballot.
The document proposes various confusing names for the alternative Republican ballot measures, which would be sent to the ballot directly by the legislature to avoid the signature process. Such titles included the "Protecting Pregnant Women and Safe Abortions Act," the "Arizona Abortion and Reproductive Care Act" and the "Arizona Abortion Protection Act."
Despite the soft-sounding titles, one proposed measure listed in the document would outlaw abortion after 15 weeks in the state constitution. Arizona GOP even contemplate lowering the ban to 14 weeks in a section of the document that reads: "Could scale back 15-week law to 14-week law. In reality, a 14-week law disguised as a 15-week law because it would only allow abortion until the beginning of the 15th week."
The document presents the competing initiatives as “something other than the extreme abortion-on-demand AAA Initiative."
Dawn Penich, a spokesperson for Arizona for Abortion Access, said the document "shows yet again why Arizonans can’t leave our most basic and personal rights in the hands of politicians in the state Legislature."
Earlier this month, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that a total abortion ban law on the books from 1864, 48 years before Arizona became a state, was enforceable after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The 1864 law provides no exception for rape or incest.
Last week, Democrats in both houses of the legislature advanced bills to overturn the ban, but were blocked by the slim Republican majority. Arizona GOP have faced increased pressure to act in some manner to repeal the ban due to its unpopularity among voters in that state.
Many Republicans, including Donald Trump, were quick to condemn the ban. Trump said the Arizona legislature should overturn the 1864 law, despite saying only 24 hours before the Arizona Supreme Court ruling that he would support the right of states to impose total bans.
Arizona candidate for U.S. Senate Kari Lake, and Representative Juan Ciscomani also stated they opposed the ban, despite Lake saying in 2022 while running for Governor that she would be "thrilled" to see the 1864 law come into effect. Ciscomani said in 2022 that he supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
