Kari Lake Claims Arizona Abortion Prohibition Isn’t Enforced, Says ‘unfortunately’

Republican Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake recently gave an interview to an Idaho media outlet. In the interview, she expressed her disappointment that Arizona’s law from 1864, which prohibits almost all abortions, is not being enforced. This is a change from her previous comments earlier this month, where she had said that the revived law went too far.

“The Arizona Supreme Court has stated that this is the law in Arizona.” “But sadly, the individuals in charge of our state have stated that we will not enforce it,” Lake said in a video interview with the Idaho Dispatch on Saturday.

“We don’t have that law, even though many of us would like to have it,” she added. Lake’s campaign has not yet answered questions about her comments. She made these comments in response to criticism from the anti-abortion group Idaho Chooses Life.

The Arizona state Supreme Court recently confirmed a law from the Civil War era that prohibits almost all abortions in the state, except when the life of the mother is at risk. The law also says that doctors who perform abortions can go to jail.

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, and Attorney General Kris Mayes, also a Democrat, have stated that they will not enforce this and will not prosecute providers.

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The law may not take effect until June 8. Mayes wrote a letter to hospitals and doctors, stating that her office is looking into all possible legal options to stop the law from being implemented.

Lake is a candidate running for the seat that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I) is leaving. She has changed her position multiple times when talking about the 1864 measure. During her campaign for governor of Arizona in 2022, she referred to a specific law as “great.”

But after the decision, Lake had a different opinion.

“The Arizona Supreme Court’s decision to completely ban abortion goes against the views of the people in this state,” she said in a video posted on the social platform X on April 11.

“I agree with President Trump. We should make exceptions for cases of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is at risk,” she said.

Lake has been personally trying to convince Republican members of Arizona’s Legislature to remove the ban. If successful, the state would go back to its previous law from 2022, which prohibits abortion after 15 weeks.

The 15-week ban, similar to the 1864 law, does not make any exceptions for cases of rape or incest.