Abortion Access Sparks AZ Delegates’ Urgent Call to Vote Against ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Scenario

CHICAGO – Arizona Democrats are focusing heavily on reproductive rights as a central theme in their campaign ahead of the November elections. This message is resonating beyond state lines, gaining traction at the Democratic National Convention.

A striking representation of this commitment is a 20-foot inflatable IUD displayed outside the United Center, where thousands of delegates gather to support Vice President Kamala Harris.

“This issue is going to help us from the top of the ticket to the bottom of the ticket,” stated state Sen. Eva Burch, D-Mesa, who is participating as a delegate in Chicago. She emphasized that the implications extend across presidential, local legislative, and judicial races.

Currently, Arizona enforces a ban on abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions only in medical emergencies. However, Proposition 139, set for the November ballot, aims to expand this limit to 24 weeks and include provisions for mental and physical health. If passed, it would secure abortion rights within the state constitution.

Nicole Brown, a delegate from Tempe and small business owner, expressed enthusiasm about having abortion rights featured prominently on the ballot. “I feel like it’s my right to choose, as a woman, what I do with my body,” she asserted. “With leaders like Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, we’re moving forward.”

She invoked a powerful metaphor, saying, “I don’t want to be in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’” referencing the dystopian narrative about women stripped of autonomy.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, also a Democratic delegate, stressed the importance of protecting abortion access, predicting it will significantly enhance voter turnout. “The youth and women will mobilize to support Vice President Harris and her running mate,” she remarked.

Harris and her fellow Democrats have raised alarms over former President Donald Trump’s potential return to power, warning that he would seek to impose severe restrictions on both abortion and contraception.

Highlighting their message, a Planned Parenthood mobile health clinic operated outside the convention, alongside the inflatable IUD named “Freeda Womb,” which advocates for contraceptive access.

April’s state Supreme Court ruling reinstated an 1864 near-total abortion ban, which had been dormant prior to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022, a historic ruling that had safeguarded abortion rights for nearly five decades.

In response, the Arizona Legislature quickly moved to repeal the 1864 ban, with minimal Republican support, and Gov. Katie Hobbs signed the repeal into law.

“The Republican legislative majority has enacted more abortion bans, while the Democratic majority is committed to safeguarding reproductive freedoms,” asserted state Sen. Priya Sundareshan, D-Tucson.

Signa Oliver, a retired delegate from Phoenix, actively supported Proposition 139 by helping to collect signatures. “I have a 5-year-old granddaughter with fewer rights than I have, and that is unacceptable,” she declared. “I will fight for her autonomy and ensure that she has a choice over her body.”

Oliver poignantly recalled the pre-Roe era, asserting, “We’re not going back to that. It’s done. This initiative will energize many who feel frustrated about these issues.”