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| Photo Credit: AP. |
The White House has said a ruling that effectively banned all forms of abortion in Arizona sets women back over a century. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized the ruling Friday that allowed an old abortion ban in the state to go into effect describing it as “dangerous”.
"Yesterday’s
ruling in Arizona is dangerous and will set Arizona women back more than a
century — to a time before Arizona was even a state," the press secretary
said in a statement, according to the Washington Examiner. "While we await
next steps on any implementation of the law, the potential consequences of this
ruling are catastrophic, dangerous, and unacceptable."
Pima County
Superior Court Judge Kellie Johnson ruled Friday the state could enforce a law
originally passed in the 1800s, before Arizona became a state, that bans almost
all abortions except for instances of danger to the life of the mother,
according to the Washington Examiner. The law could not take effect due to Roe
v. Wade initially.
"If
this decision stands, healthcare providers would face imprisonment of up to
five years for fulfilling their duty of care; survivors of rape and incest
would be forced to bear the children of their assaulters; and women with
medical conditions would face dire health risks," Jean-Pierre said.
Johnson
decided against an initial injunction place on the law while the courts hear
legal challenges to it, saying it was no longer necessary.