Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs Signs Bill Officially Repealing State's Controversial 1864 Abortion Ban

After a massive outcry when the State Supreme Court of Arizona reinstated the 1864 total abortion ban, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has now signed the bill repealing the law, making the repeal official. However, this would not be taking effect immediately yet.

The 1864 abortion law was in effect since the Civil War. After the US Supreme Court repealed Roe V. Wade, the Arizona State Supreme Court decided to reinstate the law, which bans all forms of abortion except when the mother's life is in danger.

Hobbs signed the repeal inside the state Capitol just a day after the Arizona State Senate passed it with two Republicans defecting from the majority. Despite the massive backlash from the 1864 abortion ban's reinstatement, a majority of state Senate Republicans still voted no to its repeal.

"I've heard from doctors who were unsure if they would wind up in a jail cell for simply doing their job, women who told me they didn't know if it was safe to start a family here in Arizona," said Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs at the signing ceremony. "These excruciating conversations are exactly why I have made one thing clear, very clear: This ban needs to be repealed."

After the bill to repeal the Civil War era law passed the Senate, Hobbs vowed to sign it in order to officially repeal the controversial law, which was first codified in 1901 before Arizona became a US State. Once it got statehood, the 1864 abortion ban was codified again, according to NBC News.

The backlash in Arizona was so massive that even the staunchest conservatives had to change their stances and call for the law's repeal, including Kari Lake who once celebrated the law and called for its reinstatement after Roe V. Wade was repealed. However, Lake has been flip-flopped since, calling for more enforcement of the law, while also calling for its repeal.

Arizona Just the Beginning in Battle for Abortion in Many States

The repeal itself will only begin to take effect 90 days after the end of the legislative session, which would be around June or July. However, many are already celebrating the victory of the law's repeal.

However, this is only the beginning of the fight for or against abortion, as several big battles are about to happen across the United States at the state level, from North Dakota all the way to Florida.

Around the same time as Hobbs signed the bill repealing the Arizona 1864 abortion ban, a South Dakota abortion rights initiative submitted far more signatures than required to make the ballot, according to the Associated Press. South Dakota residents will now vote if they want to keep their abortion rights.

Over in Florida, however, a law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy has now taken effect. This has highlighted the differences in policies across all 50 states in the US.

Abortion Battles Still Consuming US Politics After Roe V. Wade Repeal

The status of abortion in the US is constantly changing as conservatives and progressives duel to pass new abortion laws or challenge them. These include measures against abortion, such as Kansas increasing funding for anti-abortion centers, as well as measures for abortion, like the ones in South Dakota and Arizona.

"Some of it's exactly what we knew would happen," David Cohen, a professor at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University who studies abortion policy, told the AP. He added that "others have been big surprises that have put, frankly, the anti-abortion movement on their heels."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Arizona governor signs repeal of 1864 abortion ban - NBC News