Arizona’s Republican leaders block attempt to repeal abortion ban

Democrats stymied after state supreme court rules that 1864 law with no exceptions for rape or incest can go into effect

Arizona's state Republican leadership halted an effort by Democrats on Wednesday to repeal an 1864 law banning almost all abortions, which the state supreme court this week ruled could go into effect.

The move came after Republican lawmakers in the state had denounced the court's decision, including some who previously expressed support for the law. Donald Trump and other high-profile Republicans, such as the Senate candidate Kari Lake, had also declared their opposition to the ruling with Lake urging lawmakers to come up with an immediate commonsense solution that Arizonans can support".