Advocates, women, doctors, and healthcare providers experiencing confusion under chaos created by abortion ruling

Phoenix, AZ - On April 12, amid chaos and confusion following the Arizona Supreme Court upholding the draconian 1864 total abortion ban, Governor Hobbs made clear her Executive Order preventing extremist county attorneys from prosecuting Arizonans for abortion-related crimes applies to women, doctors, and any member of the public who helps a woman obtain an abortion.

The statement comes after healthcare providers and advocates expressed uncertainty regarding protections for Arizonans who help women obtain abortions.

“As Arizonans continue to grapple with this new reality, I want to be very clear: my Executive Order provides protections for anyone involved in seeking abortion care. That includes women and their loved ones, doctors and other healthcare providers, and any person helping a woman obtain an abortion. While the Supreme Court’s ruling revives the 1864 near-total ban, I will not let overzealous county attorneys take this as an opportunity to target any individual. As long as I am Governor, no Arizonan will be prosecuted by extremist county attorneys for seeking abortion care.”

Read Governor Hobbs’ 2023 Executive Order here.