NPR’s Leila Fadel speaks with Lawyer Basic Kris Mayes, a Democrat who has vowed to not implement a sweeping abortion ban upheld by the state’s supreme court docket.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
We go to Arizona, the place a Civil Warfare period ban on nearly all abortions will quickly be the legislation after a ruling this week by the state’s Supreme Court docket. Arizona justices revived an 1864 legislation barring all abortions besides in instances the place the mom’s life is in danger. It will exchange the earlier state legislation that allowed abortion by 15 weeks of being pregnant, and there can be no exceptions for rape or incest. It is the most recent state ban on abortion for the reason that U.S. Supreme Court docket reversed Roe v. Wade almost two years in the past, and the state’s legal professional basic says she won’t implement it. Arizona Lawyer Basic Kris Mayes is right here with me now. Good morning.
KRIS MAYES: Good morning.
FADEL: So that you say you are not going to implement this legislation. Why?
MAYES: Effectively, for various causes, we can’t be implementing this legislation. Firstly, it’s unconstitutional. It violates our state’s proper to privateness, which is expressly written into our Structure. Secondly, , this is not over by a protracted shot. We nonetheless have a chance over the subsequent 60 days to attempt to get this horrible determination reversed. It does not take impact instantly. So now we have wherever from 45 to 60 days to attempt to cease this. This factor was handed or written when Arizona wasn’t even a state, ladies could not vote and the Civil Warfare was nonetheless raging.
FADEL: However your job, finally, is to implement legislation. So if it does take impact in 45 to 60 days, do you threat your elected place by selecting to not implement it?
MAYES: No. Positively not. Look, there are legal guidelines on the books in Arizona and in each state that aren’t enforced. I imply, Arizona has an adultery legislation, a bigamy legislation. These legal guidelines will not be enforced. And it is my job to be sure that the sources of my workplace are correctly utilized and spent. And I even have supervisory authority over the state’s 15 county attorneys. And I’ve made it clear that if any of them makes an attempt to prosecute a physician or a nurse, a medical skilled or a girl beneath this insane, egregious 1864 abortion ban, that I’ll step in and I’ll cease them, or at the least try and cease them.
FADEL: You stated that this was a seismic determination. I believe this modifications every thing. Once you say this modifications every thing, what does it change?
MAYES: Effectively, clearly it modifications every thing in a horrible manner for Arizona ladies and households. However from a political standpoint, that is an absolute earthquake. It is a 8.0 on the Richter scale. You understand, the Republicans don’t know what’s coming at them in November. You understand, the folks of Arizona – as they need to by the democratic course of – will make it clear that they do not wish to be subjected to an 1864 abortion ban. And so I believe what meaning is that the poll initiative that now we have is probably going, nearly actually, I consider, to go.
FADEL: And that is a poll initiative come November that might enshrine the fitting to abortion within the Structure.
MAYES: Precisely.
FADEL: Now, we have seen some Republicans, although, criticizing this ruling, saying it went too far, that it is too excessive – Republican lawmaker David Prepare dinner from Arizona saying it must be modified – even criticized by Kari Lake, who ran for Arizona governor on an anti-abortion platform. And what do you make of those criticisms? Is that this a shift?
MAYES: I believe what you hear within the voices of these Republicans is worry. And it is worry of the truth that the folks of Arizona are going to resoundingly reject this within the type of their votes in November. And, , I admire the truth that there are just a few Republicans who’re keen to say that, however they actually ought to have and will have stated that a very long time in the past. They might have repealed this at any time over the previous many years, I suppose. And so they actually may have repealed it within the final yr, however they selected to not. So what I say to them is, somewhat too little and somewhat too late.
FADEL: Arizona Lawyer Basic Kris Mayes, thanks for becoming a member of us.
MAYES: Thanks.
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