The border, birth control and the art of the political zing at the Arizona Capitol

It’s election season and hostilities are intensifying at the Arizona Capitol.

Republicans are busy scoring political zings on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, announcing this week that they plan to pass and send her their Arizona Border Invasion Act, a bill that would give the state the power to arrest and deport immigrants who cross the border illegally.

Never mind that Hobbs has already vetoed the bill. In fact, Republicans hinted they might even send her the bill two more times.

“It would be absolutely insane for her to veto the bill again,” Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, huffed during a Monday press conference.

I’m guessing Petersen would be absolutely shocked if Hobbs – whose veto cited “significant constitutional concerns” and harm to immigrant communities and businesses – changed her mind.

In fact, he’d probably be downright disappointed if she did.

Democrats decide turnabout is fair game

That’s because this charade isn’t about getting Hobbs to change her mind. It’s about getting Arizona voters to keep Republicans in power.

On Wednesday, Democrats showed that they, too, can play.

Democrats in the House and Senate schemed up a plan to ask for floor votes on their Arizona Right to Contraception Act, a bill that would guarantee women the right to contraception.

Imagine their shock and horror when every Republican voted no. Then again, they knew that would happen given the Republicans’ refusal even to hear the bills in House and Senate committees.

Democrats' turn to feign outrage

“In case there was an ounce of doubt left on where these out-of-touch Republican legislators stand on basic freedoms, they just proved to every Arizonan that their extreme agenda includes opposing the right to contraception, jeopardizing IVF for families, and pushing for a Civil-War era abortion ban that requires prison time for doctors,” Hobbs’ political guru, Nicole DeMont, puffed in a press release that came flying out of the Governor’s Office after Wednesday’s vote.

“Arizonans value their personal freedoms, and they want the government to stay out of their healthcare decisions. If these legislators don’t understand that yet, they will in November.”

Of course, women already have the right to contraception, courtesy of a pair of the U.S. Supreme Court rulings in the 1960s and early 1970s. Then again, two years ago we also had the right to an abortion so you can see why women might want a state law nailing down our right to control when we get pregnant.

Meanwhile, we’ve got the Arizona Supreme Court pondering whether an 1864 law that criminalizes abortion, even in the case of rape and incest, is now prevailing state law.

And to highlight this lawmaker's idiotic quip

Wednesday's performance art had the added benefit of reminding voters of Sen. Sonny Borrelli's sage advice for women worried that the U.S. Supreme Court might next consider whether women should have the right to control when they start families.

“Like I said, Bayer Company invented aspirin,” the Lake Havasu City Republican told Arizona Mirror’s Gloria Rebecca Gomez last week. “Put it between your knees.”

That’s political gold right there.

Especially in a state where Republicans cling to control of the Legislature by just one vote in each chamber.

Take comfort, this political theater will end Nov. 5

Listening to our esteemed leaders, we either have a bunch of Neanderthal Republicans who want to strip women of their right to birth control because hey, those hussies should just close their legs…

… Or we have a bunch of evil Democrats who want to throw open the border to anyone and everyone, because hey, how else are they going to prevail in their globalist plot to turn us all into socialists?

Given the political divide – and the temptation to widen it even further to score a few cheap zings – I'm not hopeful that much that is good will be forthcoming this year from our leaders.

As Sen. Borrelli might say, take an aspirin, Arizona.

Just eight more months of this performance art.

Eight. More. Months.

Reach Roberts at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerlyTwitter, at @LaurieRoberts or on Threads at laurierobertsaz.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The border? Birth control? Just more performance art at state Capitol