Expanding abortion care on 2024 ballot

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Pro-abortion organizations are seeking to expand abortion rights on this year's November ballot. 

The main initiative is to receive abortion care up to the 24th week of pregnancy.

Currently, abortion is legal in Arizona up to the 15th week with an exception after that to save the mother’s life.

However, there are no exceptions for rape or incest. Part of the new initiatives is to also expand the exceptions. 

The campaign must collect nearly 384,000 valid signatures from Arizona voters by July 3rd, for the state to see it on this year's ballot.

Reproductive access groups in Arizona are trying to expand abortion rights on this year's November ballot.

The Arizona Right to Abortion Initiative would expand abortions up until the 24th week of pregnancy.

At this moment, abortion is legal in Arizona up to 15 weeks. 

Governor Katie Hobbs also endorsed this new initiative last November. 

Planned Parenthood is one of the organizations supporting the initiative.

They say it’s about the right to decide. 

But one local state representative is against it saying he agrees with the current abortion law in place now.

“That every person can make their own decision… whether they want to become pregnant, and if they are pregnant… if they want to continue with that pregnancy or not. So all this initiative is looking for is that Arizonans themselves decide whether they want abortion to be legal or not and that we don’t leave these decisions in the hand of legislators," said Alejandra Soto, Planned Parenthood Federation of America 

“Make sure you know what the details are when you’re singing something. There’s a lot of fine print that people don't understand. They say, ‘Oh it's the right for the women to choose.' Well, we have that now as current law and I believe they’re going to uphold that. So these other measures are very extreme," stated Rep. Tim Dunn (R-Arizona).

The campaign has to collect nearly 384,000 valid signatures from Arizona voters by July 3 to make it on the ballot.