'The damage is done': Ruben Gallego says repealing Arizona's near-total abortion ban now would be too little, too late

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

April 14, 2024, 2:26 PM EDT


PHOENIX — Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego argued this week that a potential repeal of Arizona’s 1864 abortion law is not a viable long-term solution to secure abortion rights for the women of Arizona. “The damage is done,” Gallego told NBC News of a possible repeal of the 1864 ban, which the state’s Supreme Court ruled last week was enforceable, effectively banning the procedure statewide. “Any initiative they pass right now wouldn’t even take effect for quite a while,” he added.

Gallego, who is running for Senate this year, also pointed out that a repeal of the 1864 near-total ban, which makes exceptions for medical emergencies but not for rape or incest, could be reversed by future state legislatures. “To make matters worse, it could just get overturned later by another state House or state Senate,” Gallego said. “The only protection we really, really have is to codify this and put this on the ballot and enshrine Roe and protect abortion rights,” he said.

Gallego argued a repeal through the state is just the first step in rectifying what he sees as injustice. “They just need to put the bill on the floor, overturn this and codify Roe, which you can do right now at the state level,” he said of what Republicans in the state legislature should do next in the wake of the 1864 ban.

Gallego made the comments on Friday, just hours after rallying with Vice President Kamala Harris on the issue of securing abortion rights. Under Arizona’s state constitution, a new law wouldn’t take effect until 90 days after the Legislature adjourns.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ruben-gallego-says-repealing-arizonas-total-abortion-ban-now-little-la-rcna147734

[cstanleytech]

1. Yup it's the same thing with gun laws really.

[Kath2]

2. Codify Roe.

Ratify the ERA, which should have been done long ago. Trust women to make their own personal decisions. Protect reproductive rights. We will never accept going back. These laws are injuring and killing people.

[Deuxcents]

3. Exactly. Ratify the ERA. reproductive health care is only a part of the solution

[Kath2]

4. ERA should have been ratified long ago.

Women remain second class citizens. All of this needs to change. Hard to believe this is happening in 2024.

[TexasBushwhacker]

6. Mississippi didn't ratify the 13th Amendment until 1995 n/t

[AZ8theist]

9. Surprising no knuckle-dragger in Mississippi didn't propose reversing the 19th Amendment...

....it's coming. Bank on it.

[Deuxcents]

10. It is a sad commentary on this country that an ERA is even necessary

To acknowledge women as being equal in this century. Our paychecks aren’t equal for equal work. Our health benefits rates are higher as is our insurance. For the majority of the population, we’re not at all represented or respected. 😡

[NanaCat]

15. I'm going to repeat this:

Even a full-blown Amendment enshrining reproductive rights will not guarantee protection, because this USSC can declare any law unConstitutional if a case comes before them to rule that way. Even if you go the full Amendment route (Good luck!), they can (and probably would) do what they have to a bunch of other Amendments and chip away at them until they're toothless.

As long as the Seditious Six are on the bench, women are in danger. This is what we tried to warn the 'purity progressives' about in 2016, and they treated us like we had cooties.

A pox on the lot of them.

[Coventina]

20. Those same "purity progressives" are working to ensure another Trump victory.

By screaming about "Genocide Joe" and insisting there is no difference between the parties.

I am way past being able to be polite to them.

[sumus]

5. The next thing

Ok now that the 1864 law is in effect. In the spirit of originalism Arizona will only approve abortion methods used in 1864.

[TeamProg]

7. Yah right, there is NO difference between the two parties...

STUPID FUCKS

[AZ8theist]

8. MY FUTURE SENATOR

[DFW]

11. I sure as hell hope so!

With any luck, by the way, we’ll be meeting up in Washington in 3 days. I’ll tell him DU says hi!

[Snoopy 7]

12. Wait

so then if "now would be too little, too late" then let's do NOTHING. What kind of BS thinking is that? Does that mean getting rid of slavery, right to vote, and many other OVERTURNED bad thinking and legislation were wrong! NO, what it means is if it is wrong DO SOMETHING about it. Fight for the people you claim you want on your side, look around and ask yourself do my constituents want me to do nothing? That's when you will find you constituents are telling you to fight like hell for them that's why they are voting for you...

[NanaCat]

14. That's not what Gallego is saying

He's making a larger point about long-term strategy.

[Polybius]

19. Correct, but I initially thought the same thing

He could have worded it better.

[NanaCat]

13. The problem with codifying

Is that the USSC can still overturn a law or chip away at an Constitutional Amendment to render it toothless. It's like people forget about that checks and balances thing.

As long as the Seditious Six are on the bench, women are in danger.

[marshall]

16. States need to outlaw any outdated laws ASAP!

Every state has antiquated and ridiculous by current standards laws that are routinely ignored. State legislatures need to make it a priority to clean up their laws.

[Marthe48]

18. Once in awhile somebody writes a humorous column about antiquated laws

Just a freakin' laugh riot. Not.

[oasis]

17. Go go Gallego