(ConservativeFreePress.com) – In the Arizona House, two representatives, one Democrat and one Republican, were stripped of their crucial committee roles on Wednesday. This action followed their support for repealing the state’s 1864 abortion ban, which imposes a near-total prohibition on the procedure except to save the life of the mother and includes criminal penalties for anyone assisting in the procedure.
Republican State Representative Matt Gress, along with two other GOP members, sided with Democrats in a vote to overturn the old law. Gress was subsequently removed from the Appropriations Committee, and Democrat Representative Oscar De Los Santos was ousted from both the Appropriations and Rules committees, as reported by The Hill.
The move came after a contentious vote in the House, which passed the repeal with a 32-28 margin. This decision aligned with the wishes of figures like former President Donald Trump and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Keri Lake, who advocated for the repeal after the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the 1864 statute.
If the repeal is approved by the Republican-majority Senate and signed by Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, it will make a 2022 law that prohibits abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy the operative legislation.
Gress defended his position on the social media platform X, emphasizing his pro-life stance but rejecting the extreme polarizations around the issue, asserting the possibility of simultaneously respecting and protecting women and defending new life.
His fellow Republican Representatives Tim Dunn and Justin Wilmeth also supported the repeal. In contrast, De Los Santos expressed his disappointment over the party backlash against his support for reproductive rights, vowing not to be silenced or intimidated.
The incident has stirred discontent among other Republicans, such as State Representative Rachel Jones, who lamented the deviation from the party’s foundational life principle. The political turmoil suggests a complex battle ahead in the Senate, where a narrow Republican majority leaves the outcome uncertain. The Senate has scheduled to potentially vote on the repeal as soon as May 1.
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