Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes speaks about legal exceptions to the state's 15-week abortion law at her office in Phoenix on June 27, 2024.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has joined 24 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief urging the United States’ Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a ruling putting Idaho’s abortion ban on hold.
They argue the ban, which lacks an exception for emergency abortion care, could harm patients and overwhelm health systems in Idaho and nearby states. Mayes emphasized that emergency abortion care saves lives and should be protected under federal law.
"Idaho’s abortion ban is not only dangerous, it’s unlawful under federal standards,” Mayes said. “Emergency abortion care saves lives, and we cannot allow this ban to put lives at risk or overwhelm health care systems in Idaho and its neighboring states. I will continue to stand alongside my fellow attorneys general to fight to protect access to essential, life-saving care.
The coalition argues that Idaho’s actions violate the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which they say requires hospital emergency departments to provide appropriate medical screening and stabilizing care, including abortions when a person’s life is at risk.
Mayes says that since the Idaho abortion ban went into effect, nearly one in four obstetricians left the state or retired.
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