Arizona governor signs repeal of law protecting unborn babies

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Thursday signed a repeal of an 1864 law protecting unborn babies from abortion in almost every case. The law allowed abortions only when the life of the mother was at risk. Last month, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the law could be enforced. Arizona’s House of Representatives voted to repeal the law last week, and the state Senate did the same earlier this week.

What does this mean for unborn babies in the state? Unborn babies will still be protected after 15 weeks of gestation. The state Supreme Court had ruled that the newer law could also have been enforced alongside the now-repealed law protecting unborn babies from nearly all abortions.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson and Christina Grube’s report in WORLD Magazine about how the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision divided Republicans in the state and beyond.