Revised Arizona abortion bill appears headed for passage

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A sweeping new abortion bill appears headed for passage after amendments were made to appease the lone Republican blocking it from advancing.

SB 1457 makes it a felony for a doctor to perform an abortion based solely on a genetic abnormality, like Down's Syndrome. It does allow for the procedure in cases of extreme and unsurvivable fetal conditions. Those conditions weren't defined clearly enough for Sen. Tyler Pace, a Mesa Republican.

The bill also confers all civil rights on an unborn child. Pace also had concerns about how this so-called "personhood provision" would impact the future legality of in vitro fertilization procedures. A lengthy debate on Monday resulted in sufficient modifications to the bill to earn Pace's vote. The legislation now appears destined for Gov. Doug Ducey's, (R-Ariz.), desk, where he is expected to sign it.

Read the full text of SB 1457 here

In addition to criminalizing certain types of abortions, SB 1457 bans the delivery of abortion-inducing medications, like the morning-after pill. It grants the father, and grandparents, of a child aborted due to genetic abnormality the right to sue the mother. It blocks state funding from any clinic or facility that offers abortion, and forbids the state's universities from providing abortion care on campus.

Arizona Democrats say the bill has a devastating impact on a woman's right to choose. They fear the measure, and its personhood provision in particular, could lead to criminal prosecutions for women who have abortions. Since the GOP holds the majority in both the House and Senate, Democrats simply do not have the votes to block the bill from passage.

The measure comes at a time when states across the country are reigning in abortion rights under speculation that the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court could overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. It granted women the right to have an abortion.