Last week, lawyers for Arizona’s legislative leaders stood in a Maricopa County courtroom defending laws that protect women from coercion and babies from eugenic abortions.

Dr. Paul Isaacson, a Phoenix obstetrician-gynecologist and Proposition 139 supporter, filed the lawsuit challenging these protections. His argument? They create “unnecessary barriers to essential reproductive health care.”

But unnecessary for whom?

Certainly not for the vulnerable women these laws protect or the babies growing inside them.

These laws provide three essential protections: First, they ban eugenic abortions; aborting babies solely because they have Down syndrome or because the parents disfavor their baby’s race or sex. Second, they require a 24-hour waiting period with ultrasound viewing so women can make fully informed decisions. Third, they restrict telehealth abortions to prevent coercion and ensure proper medical screening and care.

Protecting Women from Coercion and Harm

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Steve Montenegro intervened to defend these laws after Attorney General Kris Mayes refused to do her job. Their witness, Dr. Steven Nelson, explained what abortion advocates refuse to acknowledge: in-person care is essential for detecting coercion and saving lives.

“You could have a trafficker standing next to the patient,” Nelson testified about telehealth abortion consultations. Without face-to-face interaction, how can physicians read body language and facial expressions that reveal whether a woman is being forced into an unwanted abortion?

Emily Gould, the attorney representing Senate President Petersen and House Speaker Montenegro, cited studies from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists showing that at least 10% of women who have abortions later report they were coerced into terminating their pregnancy.

Mandatory ultrasounds also save lives. Nelson testified that 60% of patients misjudge gestational age, and ultrasounds are the only way to detect ectopic pregnancies that can kill the mother if left untreated.

The 24-hour waiting period protects women in a different way. But don’t just take Dr. Nelson’s word for it.

Mayra Rodriguez, a former Planned Parenthood director and employee for 17 years, testified in court that, in her experience, before Arizona’s 2009 informed consent law, women received only 30 minutes to decide on their abortion options. After the law took effect half the women who came in for abortions never returned.

Rodriguez also revealed disturbing realities from inside abortion facilities during her testimony: women who lamented not understanding their baby’s development, mothers given no time to read informed consent documents, and staff trained to understate the danger of having an abortion.

Stopping Eugenics

These laws also combat discrimination. The woman who founded Planned Parenthood did so with Eugenics in mind. Court testimony revealed that before Arizona banned abortions based on race, sex, or medical condition, witnesses estimated 80% of abortions were linked to genetic abnormalities.

This is eugenics in modern dress. People with Down syndrome deserve the same right to life as everyone else.

The three-day evidentiary hearing concluded last week. Closing arguments are scheduled for January 12, 2026.

We Still Need Your Signature

Prop 409 passed, giving Valleywise Health its $898 million bond – but not a blank check.

Our petition demands one thing: a public commitment that no taxpayer dollars expand Valleywise’s transgender programs, directly or indirectly. Not one cent for cross-sex hormones. Not one facility used to grow these harmful practices.

We need more signatures. Valleywise needs to see the pressure building.

Sign at azpolicy.org/valleywise-health-pledge. Then share it with everyone who cares about where their tax dollars go.

ICYMI

• Read how Oregon Right to Life won its appeal against the state mandate requiring abortion insurance coverage.
• Read how Arizona Lawmakers plan to push for family court reforms.
• See how the International Olympic Committee is looking to ban transgender “women” from female sports.
• See how Trump is protecting foster care from transgender ideology.