Foetuses can be called ‘unborn humans’ for Arizona abortion vote

The group Arizona for Abortion Access said voters would be “subjected to biased, politically-charged words developed not by experts but by anti-abortion special interests”.

It added it was “deeply disappointed” by the decision of the state supreme court, which sided with state Republican lawmakers.

One of those Republicans, House Speaker Ben Toma, hailed the ruling as “correct”, the Associated Press reported, and said the move was designed to aid voters’ understanding.

The court – whose judges were appointed by Republicans – has promised to release a full opinion later, AP added.

Women in Arizona are currently prevented from terminating a pregnancy after 15 weeks, with some exceptions, as a result of legislation brought by the Republicans in 2022.

That law was passed after the US Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v Wade: a landmark ruling which rescinded the nationwide right to abortion and set in train a nationwide debate over reproductive rights.

In Arizona specifically, this reached a head earlier this year when state lawmakers battled over a 160-year law that would have almost totally banned abortions, without exceptions in instances of rape and incest.

The state supreme court ruled in April the legislation dating from 1864 could be enforced. The move was briefly hailed as an “enormous victory” by one anti-abortion group, before state Democrats forced through a repeal bill with the help of two Republicans in the senate.