“State has shown a legitimate interest in limiting abortions past 20 weeks”
U.S. District Court Judge James A. Teilborg has ruled that HB 2036, titled “Mother’s Health & Safety Act,” is constitutional, denying the American Civil Liberties Union and Center for Reproductive Rights’ request to stop the law from taking effect.
The law, approved earlier this year by the Legislature and signed April 12, by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, prohibits most abortions after 20 weeks into a pregnancy.
The Court wrote “Given the nature of [abortion procedures], and the finding that the unborn child has developed pain sensors all over its body by 20 weeks gestational age, the Court finds that the State has shown a legitimate interest in limiting abortions past 20 weeks.”
“Furthermore, Arizona expressed concerns for the health of the pregnant woman, finding that the instance of complications is highest after 20 weeks of gestation. This additional legitimate interest further supports HB 2036’s regulation on abortions.”
The Court’s 15-page opinion can be read here, courtesy of Center for Arizona Policy.
The law is scheduled to take effect this Thursday, August 2.
Arizona now joins Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma in legislating these protections. Bans in Louisiana and Georgia are set to go into effect Aug. 1 and Jan. 1, respectively.
Americans United for Life has more on state laws protecting mothers and children here.
Arizona’s Pro-Life Congressman Trent Franks has sponsored H.R. 3803. The bill bans abortions in the District of Columbia after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Supported by a majority of the House, the bill has 222 co-sponsors.
UPDATE: Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Today, the left-leaning and most overturned Ninth Circuit Court ordered that Arizona cannot prohibit most abortions after 20 weeks of a pregnancy, pending a trial. The court has blocked a key provision of HB 2036, known as the Mother’s Health and Safety Act.
Earlier this week, an Arizona U.S. District Court upheld the law and denied the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Center for Reproductive Rights’ request to stop it from taking effect.
Seeing Red AZ 
Great news for life! And let’s not forget that pro-life issues don’t only affect the pre-born, but also impact us all with end of life concerns.
This prolife ruling by Judge Teilborg makes me very proud to live in Arizona!
Excellent news. Bravo to Judge Teilborg!!
I just read through the list of 222 co-sponsors. All of our Republican delegation has signed on. But the Democrats Ron Barber, Raul Grijalva and Ed Pastor are all absent. The only conclusion I can draw is that they put no premium on life and care not a whit about the painful death of pre-born babies. Disgusting!!
Through the faith of the just, we can restore our great country, which was given to us by God.
Here is another battle to fight:
A group of concerned mothers across the country is protesting an upcoming television show that depicts homosexuality and surrogate childbearing as “the new normal family.”
“NBC’s ‘The New Normal’ is attempting to desensitize America and our children,” said the pro-family organization, One Million Moms. “It is the opposite of how families are designed and created. You cannot recreate the biological wheel.”
The group, which is a ministry of the American Family Association, is protesting the upcoming show, “The New Normal,” which is set to air in September on the Comcast-owned network, NBC.
The show chronicles the story of a gay couple that hires a surrogate to have their baby.
The NBC website describes it as “a fresh new comedy about the new normal family.”
“These days, families come in all forms – single dads, double moms, sperm donors, egg donors, one-night-stand donors,” proclaims the description. “It’s 2012 and anything goes.”
The show has attracted the attention of the One Million Moms campaign, which works to defend children and family values from negative cultural influences, including vulgarity, violence and sexual immortality in entertainment media.
The organization is now encouraging its members to e-mail Comcast and NBC to voice their concerns about the show.
It also said that it plans to contact “any and all sponsors of this program if it is aired.”
“Let NBC know you and your family will not be watching the series premiere of ‘The New Normal,’” the group urged on its Facebook page.
“Let them also know you are prepared to join thousands of other voices in urging advertisers to place it on their ‘do not advertise’ list,” it added.
One Million Moms has previously worked to contact the advertisers of other shows that it deemed offensive, leading several of them to remove their ads.
The group said that a lack of advertisers due to efforts such as theirs contributed to the cancellation of shows including “Skins,” “The Playboy Club” and “Good Christians B-tches.”
Now, it hopes that thousands of concerned parents will speak out against a show that threatens to undermine family and desensitize the American public to sexual immorality.
“NBC is using public airwaves to continue to subject families to the decay of morals and values, and the sanctity of marriage in attempting to redefine marriage,” the group said.
(from CNA, today)
LD 7 PC, if we follow your reasoning, let us note that neither Senators Kyl or McCain have signed on to the senate version of the bill. But of course, readers of this site are well aware of their senators recent lack of pro life creds, particularly when it comes to judicial appointments.
Thanks for nothing, Jon Kyl, for your lousy pro abortion gifts as you leave office. Now we know your true colors and regret we ever ”knew ye”, let alone gave you our vote.
Well stated, Kate! We’ve been had one time too many by these cons.
The Repulsive gave a large amount of space to Bryan Howard today in a My Turn column. He’s the head of AZ’s Planned Parenthood abortion mills. He calls this an issue of woman’s choice and health care. What a farce. I strongly oppose abortion, but for those who desire it as a legal option, what’s wrong with cutting it off before the baby is five months along? With the advanced medical technology that we have, pregnancy is determined very early as are deadly defects. In my view, there is no rational reason to have live human babies murdered at any time, but past 20 weeks is barbaric.