GUT PUNCH

Arizona House Gives Nod to Outlawing Abortions After 15 Weeks

It was a busy day for the legislature, which also approved bans on gender-affirming surgery for minors and participation on girls’ sports teams for transgender girls.

Before breaking for lunch on Thursday, the Arizona state House gave the thumbs-up to multiple bills restricting the rights of both pregnant women and transgender minors. The abortion measure, which effectively bans the medical procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy, was approved by the state Senate last month. It now goes to the desk of Doug Ducey, a proudly anti-abortion Republican governor, for his signature. The bill resembles a similar ban recently instituted in Mississippi and now under consideration by the Supreme Court as it weighs a decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade. Idaho, Florida, and Texas are all either nearing or have crossed the finish line with similar legislation, as crushingly restrictive regulations on abortion have swept across the country over the last year. Also passed in Arizona on Thursday were a bill banning transgender girls from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity, and a bill banning gender-affirming surgery for patients under 18 years old.