Letter to the Editor-- Say No to "Arizona for Abortion Access Act!"

By Andrea Kadar

Dear Editor: The “Arizona for Abortion Access Act” (a proposed Constitutional Amendment) goes WAY TO FAR.

The actual proposed Constitutional Amendment is copied below and so are my talking points on why this C.A. is dangerous. It should NOT be on the ballot; people will not understand how perilous it is.

We have an existing law in AZ that gives patients a right to terminate a pregnancy up to 15 weeks (and beyond if the mother’s life is in peril); see attached information.

The proposed “itgoestoofar” C.A. defines “health care professionals”. i.e., those who can be involved in abortion decision-making as a myriad of people (noted below, without Residency training and without Board Certification in Ob/Gyn, a specialty with the proper training to both perform TOP’s in a safe clinical setting -and- those professional who may safely prescribe abortion pills.

Trained Ob/Gyn’s can properly diagnose ectopic pregnancies and can carefully supervise both out-patient procedures and abortion pill prescription use. They KNOW to make certain that the patient is compliant with instructions and that there is adequate post- op supervision in order to minimize risk and injury to the patient.

In my prior career, I was a principal in a national corporation that insured doctors and hospitals against malpractice claims. We insured large medical groups, surgery centers, hopitals, laboratories, clinics, etc., etc. I know how careful we must be as we provide medical care; safety is absolutely paramount .

Many people do not know that we already have this existing law that pointedly includes a myriad of safety protocols: licensed, supervised clinics in AZ, informed consent for patients 24 hours ahead of the procedure, a required sonogram before the procedure (or doppler transducer, if applicable), parental consent for minors seeking abortions so Moms and Dads can compassionately help their underage daughter’s decision, doctors with admitting privileges at hospitals within 30 minutes of the abortion clinic in case there is an injury during the procedure, protection for sex trafficked victims or victims of sexual abuse where the perpetrator is aide or forcing an abortion on the victim, etc., etc.

Please note the following:

“IT GOES TOO FAR” — “Arizona Abortion Access Act” VOTE NO!

Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are pushing the Arizona for Abortion Access Act towards the AZ Nov. 2024 ballot that would codify a “fundamental right to abortion” into Arizona law if enough signatures are gathered by July, 2024, and the C.A. makes it to the Nov. ballot. The odds of overturning an AZ Constitutional Amendment, if enacted, are very difficult.

The C.A. “language” is only one and one half pages long and is entitled, “Arizona Abortion Access Act”.

It says that a “fundamental right to abortion” precludes anyone from denying, restricting or interfering with an abortion even after “fetal viability” (the ability of a baby to survive outside the womb without artificial means, or approximately 24 weeks.) if the treating Health Care Professional (not necessarily an M.D.) determines is necessary to protect the life, physical, or “mental health” (stress?) of the pregnant individual (not a woman?). A “fundamental right’’ means that the law may not penalize any person (sex traffickers, sex abusers, coaches or school nurses) or entity for aiding or assisting a “pregnant person” from getting an abortion.

Arizona existing abortion law/current statutes

The existing law in Arizona requires parental consent for any minor seeking an abortion. Informed consentis required 24 hours in advance of an abortion, an ultrasound is required 24 hours in advance, including the opportunity to hear the babies’ heartbeat, no one may coerce or intimidate a woman into having an abortion, partial birth abortions (Doctor delivers a substantial portion of the living child outside of the mother, then ends the child’s life by crushing his/her skull or using brain suction), are strictly prohibited, abortions must be performed within the first 15 weeks unless they are performed as a result of a medical emergency, abortions may not be performed solely on the basis of a diagnosis of a genetic abnormality, no abortion may be performed on a viable fetus unless it is to save the physical life of the mother, if an abortion is performed and the baby is determined to be alive, every effort must be made to save the life of the baby, no abortion may be performed based solely on race or gender, no research experimentation or trafficking of aborted baby parts is allowed, all abortion clinics must be licensed and all Medical Doctors performing abortion must have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic, Doctors may not use webcam in lieu of a personal visit with the patient, no Telemedicine abortions may be performed nor may Nurse Practitioners or Physicians Assistants perform abortions (Medical Doctors only), if the woman seeking abortion is a crime victim, she has the right to report the crime to law enforcement, no hospital or health care worker can be required to perform any abortion if it goes against their religious beliefs (they may not be fired as a result of their position), strict and extensive reporting requirements exist for abortion clinics to protect the professionalism of the clinics and to protect the safety of patients, state taxpayer funds may not be used for abortions unless it is to save the life of the mother, no abortion shall be performed under the jurisdiction of the Board of Regents (colleges and universities) unless it is necessary to save the life of the mother, County Health Services District Facilities may not provide abortions, abortion providers are disqualified for the Charitable Tax Credit…and more.

The proposed “Arizona Abortion Access Act” is silent on these safety protocols. It would overturn them if passed.

Here is the actual amendment:

List of practitioners that could be allowed to perform abortions:

Please Vote No on this Amendment!

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2 Comments

S Suzanne on July 29, 2024 2:32 pm

Thank you for providing this detailed information. Eye-opening to say the least!!
Michael Schroeder on July 30, 2024 2:10 pm

Thanks Andrea. People need to see through the headlines on these referendums as normally the titles have nothing to do with the body of the text. And that is what counts.

I wish there was more education on prevention. There are a lot of choices, male and female, to prevent pregnancy. We know sex is going to happen. So those decisions prior are critical.

Letter to the Editor– Say No to “Arizona for Abortion Access Act!”