Judge: Arizona abortion laws are unconstitutional after 2024 amendment

[RandySF]

A Maricopa County Superior Court has permanently blocked multiple anti-abortion laws, ruling that they violate the constitutional right to the procedure voters adopted two years ago.

In 2024, an overwhelming majority of Arizona voters agreed to add abortion to the state constitution, throwing dozens of existing restrictions into question. In May of last year, two local abortion providers and the Arizona Medical Association challenged a series of those restrictions and asked a judge to permanently enjoin them.

Attorneys for the doctors argued that the laws — barring women from terminating a pregnancy because of a fetus’ genetic abnormality; prohibiting the use of telemedicine during medication abortions; and requiring an ultrasound, the recitation of state-mandated information and a 24-hour delay before performing an abortion — are unconstitutional because they conflict with the state’s new protections.

Arizona’s abortion rights amendment explicitly forbids the state from enforcing any policy that interferes with access to the procedure before fetal viability. The only exception is when a “compelling state interest” exists to justify such a policy. But that interest is narrowly defined as one that either improves or maintains a woman’s health, doesn’t infringe on her “autonomous decision-making” ability, is based on evidence-based medicine and is achieved through in the least restrictive manner possible.




https://azmirror.com/2026/02/06/judge-arizona-abortion-laws-are-unconstitutional-after-2024-amendment/

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Great news! Freedom of choice is alive and well in Arizona.

[ck4829]

2. No means No, Republicans

[calimary]

6. And since too many of them can't seem to learn,

WE must keep telling them, and teaching them, AND reminding them, that No MEANS NO!!! (Even though I’m apt to add a “DAMMIT!!!” to that.)


And btw, whoever gave me a heart, MANY thanks!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[slightlv]

7. I think they're going to have that lesson drummed into them quite a lot during 2026!

[AZ8theist]

3. Excellent!!

Unfortunately, we voted to retain the two SC clowns who upheld the 1864 law. But this thwarts them. Good!

[jonstl08]

4. Missouri

Missouri voters passed an Abortion rights amendment to the constitution back in 2024. Now the GOP is putting it back on the ballot trying to overturn it.
https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/04/missouri-appeals-court-rejects-abortion-ban-ballot-language/

So watch Arizona they might try that.

[dobleremolque]

5. They'd have to try to do that in Arizona through legislative referendum, because

they'd never get the signatures on initiative petitions to do it.

The original 2024 initiative logged over 577,000 signatures which is more than twice the legally required number of signatures to put an issue on the ballot in Arizona.

To try to overturn the Arizona constitutional amendment is a perfect example of minority ideology out of touch with popular sentiment.

Edited to add: And the final vote in favor of the constitutional amendment on abortion was 62% yes / 38% no.

[slightlv]

8. Missouri seems to never let anything go, if it's what the voters, themselves,

have voted on. Does legislature like the law? Does it upset their most ardent supporters - the maga? Is the church on your side? These are quick drawn thru the MO legislators and they act accordingly... either backing it (rarely) or finding ways to cheat around it or dismiss it completely. I'm not picking on you, MO... I've felt your pain over the last couple of years, especially. I'm in KS... they're every bit as bad as MO, especially with the huge Archdiocese in our backyard.