WEB ABC News Live Prime Arizona moves to keep Civil War-era abortion ban on the books
Arizona's attorney general has asked a judge to allow the state to enforce a Civil War-era abortion ban that was recently blocked by a lower court.
The ban, which dates back to 1864, makes it a felony to perform an abortion in Arizona, with no exceptions for rape or incest.
If the judge allows the state to enforce the ban, it would effectively overturn the ruling of a lower court judge who blocked the ban in February. That judge found that the ban was unconstitutional because it violated the right to privacy established by the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
The attorney general's request comes as several states are moving to restrict abortion access in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. In June, the court ruled that the Constitution does not guarantee the right to abortion, leaving it up to individual states to set their own abortion laws.
Since then, several states have passed laws banning or severely restricting abortion. In Arizona, the attorney general's request to enforce the Civil War-era ban is the latest attempt to restrict abortion access in the state.
The attorney general's request is likely to face legal challenges. The lower court judge who blocked the ban in February found that it was unconstitutional. And even if the judge allows the state to enforce the ban, it is likely to be challenged in the courts.
The attorney general's request is also likely to face political opposition. Many people in Arizona support abortion rights, and the attorney general's request is likely to galvanize opposition to the ban.
The attorney general's request is a significant development in the ongoing debate over abortion in the United States. It is a reminder that the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has opened the door for states to restrict abortion access.
It is also a reminder that the fight for abortion rights is not over. Many people in the United States support abortion rights, and they are likely to continue to fight to protect those rights.
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