Republicans can't find a way to kill Arizona's abortion ban and score a 'win'

If there ever was an example of elected officials putting their personal political concerns over their constituents — and in this case putting those concerns over rape and incest victims — it is the Legislature’s inability thus far to remove from the books Arizona’s barbaric 1864 anti-abortion bill, with affords no exceptions for rape or incest and would imprison facilitators.

The problem for the Republican-controlled Legislature is that GOP members recognize they are in a no-win situation … politically.

As The Arizona Republic’s Laurie Roberts pointed out this week, Cathi Herrod of The Center for Arizona Policy, a powerful anti-abortion lobby, fired a shot over the bow of any Republican who’s thinking about killing the brutal territorial law.

Herrod and her organization helped many, many Republican candidates to get elected. Defy her and it could mean a primary challenge and defeat in the next election.

Republicans can't find a way to win on abortion

Likewise, if any of those same Republicans vote to abolish the old law and return to the law former Gov. Doug Ducey signed, allowing abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy, they will suddenly find themselves among those who support the availability of abortion services.

That would make all of their tough talk about abolishing abortion in the past seem like so much BS.

Which it probably was.

If you're explaining on abortion: You're losing

But admitting as much by voting to repeal the 1864 law also might lead to a primary challenge and defeat in the next election.

Lawmakers put politics over potential victims

The initiative to restore reproductive health care rights that is expected to be on the November ballot will take the issue of abortion out of the hands of politicians.

But no one wants the 1864 law to kick in before that happens.

For now, however, we’re stuck with individuals who are unwilling to do the right thing because they can’t figure out a way that doing so will give them a “win.”

That’s not just putting politics over principle. Or putting politics over the state.

In this case, it is literally putting politics over potential victims of rape or incest.

Reach Montini at [email protected].

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona abortion law remains. Why Republicans just can't kill it