Arizona residents react to state’s Supreme Court abortion ruling

PHOENIX, Ariz. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - On Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled the state must adhere to a 160-year-old law barring all abortions.

The ruling allows an 1864 law in Arizona to stand that made abortion a felony punishable by two to five years in prison for anyone who performs or helps a woman obtain one.

The law outlaws abortion from the moment of conception but includes an exception to save the woman's life.

Many of those in the Phoenix community say they are disappointed with the ruling.

"That's just wrong. Women should be able to say what they want to do," said one Phoenix resident.

"The most serious are the women who mentally or physically or who have been raped can't. It's like we're going back in time," said another Phoenix resident.

"I feel it's not fair that some man can sit behind a desk and have the right to say what we can do with our own bodies at any given time. That's not right," said Christy Bell, another Phoenix resident.

"Us as women we need to stand together and protect our rights. A lot of men are at the top and they don't understand what it is to bear a child, to carry a child for nine months. Especially a child that you do not want. And not only for the nine months, for the lifetime. It is a lifetime commitment to have a child. It is a lifetime financial commitment, a mental, emotional commitment as well and us as women should have our rights. So lets continue to fight for each other and also fight for our little sister, or our niece, or our, you know the person that's closest to us and ask ourselves if they were in a situation where they no longer wanted the baby for whatever reason, allow them to do so. And I am a believer, I am Christian, but I still think that God gave us these rights and we should continue to be as individuals to fight for those because we have a voice so start freakin' speaking."

Brianna Bethea, a resident of Phoenix