FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 1, 2021
Contact: Prudence Robertson, [email protected] | 240-672-2828
Legislation to Protect Unborn Babies from Discrimination Abortions, Stop Expansion of Dangerous Abortion Drugs, & More Will Soon Head to Governor’s Desk
Washington, D.C. – The national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) today celebrated as the Arizona House passed SB 1457, which prohibits discriminatory abortions due to a prenatal diagnosis such as Down syndrome. It also ensures that abortion drugs cannot be shipped through the mail, prevents taxpayer dollars from being sent to organizations that promote abortions, and requires dignified and respectful treatment of the remains of aborted children. The bill was passed by the Arizona State Senate last month. After a second procedural vote in the Senate, the bill heads to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.
“We’re pleased to see the Arizona legislature taking bold steps to pass this strong pro-life bill,” said SBA List State Policy Director Sue Liebel. “With over 400 pro-life bills now introduced across the nation in this year alone, it is clear the nation is surging to humanize our laws and protect our most vulnerable children, including babies diagnosed with Down syndrome before birth who are all too frequently targeted for lethal discrimination. This bill also stops the abortion industry from turning every post office and pharmacy in Arizona into an abortion center in the event that the Biden administration rolls back FDA safety regulations on these dangerous drugs.
“We thank the bill’s sponsor State Senator Nancy Barto, as well as Cathi Herrod and all our pro-life allies who have worked tirelessly to advance this legislation which will soon reach Governor Ducey’s desk.”
David Prentice, Ph.D., vice president and research director of SBA List’s research arm Charlotte Lozier Institute, testified in support of the bill last month.
A Marist/Knights of Columbus poll earlier this year found that 70% of Americans – including 56% of those who identify as pro-choice, 59% of Democrats, and 70% of Independents – oppose abortion based on the expectation that an unborn child may have Down syndrome.
In May of 2019, the Supreme Court declined to hear a case concerning Indiana’s anti-discrimination abortion law. In his concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that whether the government has a right to prohibit abortions based on fetal anomalies remains “an issue of first impression” and “remains an open question.”
SBA List is a network of 900,000 pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.
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