It’s been 90 days since the legislature adjourned, which means that as of today, most of the bills passed now take effect.
It is because you turned out and voted your values that these laws are a reality. Here’s a look at the impact these laws will have.
One quick note – Early balloting for the August 28 Primary Election begins today! If you are on the early ballot list, be sure to visit azvoterguide.com to download your Voter Guide before you send your ballot back. The impact of these bills proves you can make a difference by being informed and voting your values!
LIFE:
- Abortion clinics must post signs in their waiting rooms letting women know that it is illegal for them to be pressured by anyone – including boyfriends and clinic staff – into having an abortion.
- Women must have their ultrasound and the opportunity to view the image of their preborn child at least 24 hours before having an abortion.
- Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) must create an informed consent website for women considering abortion so they can get the facts about the life growing inside them.
- When a woman discovers that her child may have a life-threatening birth defect, she must be informed about the support that is available to her, including perinatal hospice.
- Planned Parenthood will no longer be able to come into public schools and promote abortions as the preferred option over childbirth and adoption.
- Parents cannot file a lawsuit against a doctor claiming that their child with a disability would have been better off aborted.
- Abortion providers are disqualified from eligibility for the Working Poor Tax Credit.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY:
- Arizonans can now claim an additional tax credit for donations to School Tuition Organizations, with this new tax credit going specifically to students stuck on waiting lists to attend the school of their parents’ choice.
- Children in public schools and libraries will be better protected from exposure to online pornography because online filters must be installed on public computers.
- Students attending failing public schools will be eligible for Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program to attend the school of their parents’ choice.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY:
- Arizona’s professionals licensed by the state cannot have their licenses threatened because of the free exercise of their religious beliefs.
- Religious organizations cannot be forced by the government to provide insurance coverage for abortion-inducing drugs or contraception if it violates their religious beliefs.
- University and college professors cannot be denied tenure because of their political or religious beliefs.
- The Arizona Commission on the Arts cannot use taxpayer dollars on programs that include obscenity or that desecrate or dishonor religious objects or the Arizona or American flags.
JUDICIAL REFORM:
- Proponents of a ballot measure will have legal standing to defend a proposition if it is ever challenged in court.
Two CAP-supported pro-life bills are not taking effect today due to lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Planned Parenthood:
- The ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging the portion of HB 2036 that prohibits abortions past 20 weeks gestation (unless there is a medical emergency). Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision and prevented this provision from going into effect.
- Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit challenging a law that prevents backdoor funding of abortion providers through federal family planning programs that the State administers. While preliminary legal issues are debated, this bill will not be in effect.