War on Women: AZ Gov. Brewer Signs Radical Anti-Abortion Bill
Tonight, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has signed into law one of the nation’s most radical right wing anti-choice bills: Brewer Signs Bill Banning Most Abortions After 20 Weeks.
Gov. Jan Brewer has signed a bill into law banning most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and making numerous other changes to abortion regulations.
The new law will likely go into effect sometime in July, depending on when the Legislature ends its session.
Supporters of House Bill 2036 say it protects women and unborn children, who at this gestational age may feel pain. Opponents say it strips women and their doctors of the ability to decide how to handle situations of fetal abnormalities often discovered later in pregnancy.
“This bill is about protecting maternal health and safety,” said Rep. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, who sponsored the bill. “When a woman has a later-term abortion after 20 weeks … this exponentially increases the risk of death.”
The conservative Center for Arizona Policy was behind the bill. Center president Cathi Herrod thanked Brewer for signing the bill into law.
“HB 2036 provides for the health needs of women considering an abortion, ensuring that women have all the information they need when making this life-changing decision,” Herrod said in a news release. “Abortion not only ends the life of a pre-born child, but it also seriously endangers the health and safety of women.”
But remember: according to the Republican Party’s spinmeisters, that whole “war on women” meme is completely imaginary.