tr?id=&ev=PageView&noscript=

Arizona veteran organization endorses voting ‘yes’ on protecting abortion in Arizona

By Robert Gundran

October 11, 2024

Proposition 139 would amend the state constitution to protect abortion before fetal viability, or about 24 weeks of pregnancy.

VetsForward (VetsFWD), an Arizona nonprofit, endorsed voting “yes” on Proposition 139, a ballot measure that would constitutionally protect abortion in the state.

VetsFWD said its mission is to defend democracy through grassroots advocacy. The organization said its members are focused on issues that matter to veterans, like gun safety laws, clean energy, voting rights, equitable care at the VA, criminal justice reforms, and reproductive rights.

“I served in the Marine Corps because I believe that every American deserves the right to make decisions about their own life and body, free from interference. It has been frustrating to see this freedom taken away by politicians,” VetsFWD board member JoAnna Mendoza, a US Marine Corps veteran, said in a press release.

RELATED: This conservative is supporting Democrats and Prop 139 in November

Back in April, VetsFWD opposed the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the state’s  1864 abortion ban, which was later overturned by Democrats and a handful of Republicans in the Arizona Legislature.

“A fundamental principle of our government is that it should work to improve the lives of Americans, not make them harder by imposing restrictions that put our health, fertility, and lives at risk,” Mendoza said.

Prop 139 will appear on ballots across Arizona in the 2024 election. A “yes” vote supports amending the state constitution to protect abortion before fetal viability, or about 24 weeks of pregnancy. Several states across the country have added similar amendments to their constitutions since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.

To learn more about Prop 139, to see what’s on your ballot, or to register to vote, check out The Copper Courier’s 2024 guide to voting in Arizona here.

Author

  • Robert Gundran

    Robert Gundran grew up in the Southwest, spending equal time in the Valley and Southern California throughout his life. He graduated from Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism in 2018 and wrote for The Arizona Republic and The Orange County Register.

Support Our Cause

Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Arizonans and our future.

Since day one, our goal here at The Copper Courier has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Arizona families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.

Camaron Stevenson
Camaron Stevenson, Founding Editor
Your support keeps us going
Help us continue delivering fact-based news to Arizonans
Related Stories
OPINION: An Open Letter to My Unborn Daughter

OPINION: An Open Letter to My Unborn Daughter

My Baby Girl, If I could be granted one wish for the day you are born, I would wish for you to be born into a world where you are able to decide what is right for you. That’s the reason I have carried you in my belly — and my clipboard under my arm — all over Arizona...

Share This