Arizona Democrats garner enough votes to repeal 19th-century law banning most abortions

Arizona Democrats got enough votes to repeal a 19th century law in Arizona banning practically all abortions weeks after a court said the measure could be enforced.

The state's 14 Democratic senators got support from at least two Republicans to carry out the final repeal bill, which had been passed last week by the state House. Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs is expected to sign the bill.

The 1864 law, which predated Arizona's statehood, banned abortion even in cases of rape and incest, and only allowed the procedure if the mother's life was in danger.

The Arizona Supreme Court approved the law's enforcement last month and determined that anyone who assisted in one could be sentenced to between two and five years in prison.

The repeal means Arizona will go back to allowing abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. This measure will go back into affect 90 days after the legislative session, meaning the near-total ban will still be in place until then.

Democrats, both at the state and national level, have sought to take advantage of the issue at a political level to galvanize voters, also taking steps to enshrine abortion rights in state constitutions in the November elections.

Advocates in Arizona recently claimed to have gathered enough signatures to put abortion rights on the ballot, an initiative that has so far proven to always be winning at the voting booth.

There are a total of eleven states that are likely to take abortion rights measures on the ballot in November: Florida, Maryland and New York are confirmed, while Arizona, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Nevada, Missouri and Arkansas are still moving towards this.