Gov. Katie Hobbs wants to expand abortion access in Arizona. Here's what has been proposed

A Democratic lawmaker on Wednesday introduced a trio of bills backed by Gov. Katie Hobbs that they say would expand abortion access in the state.

Hobbs foreshadowed the bills and the policies proposed in them during her State of the State speech on Jan. 8. The bills introduced Wednesday by Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, a Tucson Democrat, mark the first step in the process toward becoming law.

But now come the hurdles. The chances of the proposals becoming law while Republicans control both chambers of the Arizona Legislature are likely slim. Similar bills in recent years have not advanced while Republicans have worked to limit abortion access, including passing a ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy in 2022.

Arizona State of the State: Takeaways from Gov. Katie Hobbs’ policy outline

Stahl Hamilton acknowledged the challenges ahead. She said she introduced the bills because she believes the policies reflect the preferences of a majority of Arizonans — though not those of elected Republican lawmakers.

"We don't have the numbers in the legislative body, but within the general population, we do have the numbers," she said. "And it is very important for our people to know that we are doing what we can to show up and represent so that their voices can be heard through our voices, and our votes."

The bills introduced on Wednesday are:

• House Bill 2678, the Arizona Right to Contraception Act, which would create a new law that prevents any limitations being placed on a patient or doctor providing or obtaining contraceptives

• House Bill 2676, which would end the current practice requiring doctors to report information about abortions to the state, and stop the state from releasing an aggregate statistical report each year

• House Bill 2677, which would repeal a pre-statehood ban on abortion that subjects doctors to criminal penalties

The bill repealing the pre-statehood law, if it passes, could be an insurance policy against a possible Arizona Supreme Court ruling. The top court is now weighing a case to decide whether the ban or a prohibition on abortions after 15 weeks that was enacted in 2022 is the prevailing law.

Sen. Priya Sundareshan, D-Tucson, plans to introduce the same bills in the Senate. The Right to Contraception Act was first announced last summer by former Rep. Athena Salman, D-Tempe, before she left the legislature to work for the abortion rights advocacy group Reproductive Freedom for All.

Cathi Herrod, president of the conservative Center for Arizona Policy, said the contraception bill was unnecessary and a "scare tactic."

“No one is trying to block access to contraception," she said.

Hobbs, a longtime supporter of abortion rights, has previously supported the Right to Contraception Act and is expected to take a prominent role advocating for a ballot measure this year that would put abortion rights into the Arizona Constitution.

“Instead of restricting our freedoms, we can pass common-sense legislation to expand access to healthcare," Hobbs said Wednesday in a statement. "Reproductive freedom is not a partisan issue."

Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at [email protected] or 480-416-5669.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Abortion bills backed by Gov. Katie Hobbs introduced in AZ Legislature