Prop 139 prevents AZ gov’t from interfering with legal abortions—yet state Republicans keep trying

You probably remember that Arizona voters overwhelmingly passed Prop 139 last year, giving everyone in the state the right to have an abortion. What you may not remember is that it also amended the constitution to say that Arizona’s state government may not interfere with the right to an abortion before fetal viability.

And yet, Arizona Republicans keep trying to pass abortion restriction bills.

Their latest attempt is HB 2681, which would put in place several restrictions for people who want to get abortions through medication.

That bill, introduced by Arizona Rep. Rachel Keshel (R-Tucson), would require doctors to independently verify whether the pregnancy exists, determine the patient’s blood type, and inform the patient of potential physical and psychological aftereffects of the medication, such as those already listed on the prescription bottle.

None of these would make it impossible to get abortion medication in Arizona, but they are interference, making what is currently a safe, legal process unnecessarily more difficult. In fact, abortion medication is safer than penicillin and Viagra.

Over half of all abortions in Arizona in 2023 were medication abortions, according to a report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Both the Arizona House and Senate are controlled by Republicans. The bill passed the house on March 4 and was introduced in the senate on March 10.

If the state senate passes HB 2681, the bill will likely be vetoed by Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat.

Keshel, however, seems undeterred in her pursuit to tell Arizonans that she knows what’s best for their bodies.

Another bill she proposed, HCR 2058, would send a ballot measure to the 2026 election that asks Arizonans to essentially undo Prop 139.