Arizona Lawmakers give green light to Abortion Bill

Arizona lawmakers have approved a legislation under which the abortion providers are required to tell women that they may be able to reverse a drug-induced abortion.

This will stop women from buying any health care plan through the federal marketplace, including abortion coverage.

The advocates on both sides of the issue said that the provision on reversing a medication abortion is the first to pass a state legislature. Arkansas lawmakers are also considering similar legislation.

The Senate, on Wednesday, has passed the proposal on an 18-11 vote, and now it has gone to Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. The governor has pledged to defend the right to life but hasn't weighed in on this specific legislation.

Last week, a House committee amended the legislation for including the abortion-reversal provision after a pro-life doctor testified that, recently, he was able to reverse a drug-induced abortion at 10 weeks.

Pro-life groups said that they have received many cases in which the women who regretted taking the first of two abortion-inducing drugs would have stopped the abortion and have healthy babies, if they sought help promptly.

Phoenix Republican Sen. Nancy Barto's insurance legislation was primarily designed to stop women from buying any health-care plan through the federal marketplace, including elective abortion coverage.

The Center for Arizona Policy is a lobbying group which is strictly against abortion. They backed the proposal and said that women, receiving federal subsidies for buying optional abortion coverage with their plans don't include the actual costs, and taxpayers end up picking up the tab.

Earlier this week, during House debate, State Rep. Kelly Townsend, a Republican from the Phoenix suburb of Mesa, said, "Our voters overwhelmingly and consistently have said they do not want their taxpayer money going to fund abortions".

According to the latest federal statistics, around 75% of the more than 200,000 Arizona residents who bought insurance policies on the marketplace get a subsidy. If the bill becomes a law, then even those who don't take subsidies will not be able to get that coverage.