High-profile Arizona abortion foe strikes out at Legislature [View all]

PHOENIX -- A powerful social conservative group that pushes anti-abortion bills in each session of the Arizona Legislature struck out this year after a last-minute proposal to fund a program designed to dissuade women from seeking to terminate their pregnancies hit a roadblock in the state Senate.

Center for Arizona Policy President Cathi Herrod said the rare defeat shows the state Senate is no longer "pro-life" after two Republicans joined all Democrats in opposing the bill.

The loss for Herrod this year comes as several conservative states have approved stringent abortion restrictions, including a complete ban in Alabama and bans in three other states once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, or as few as six weeks into a pregnancy. All are expected to face court challenges.

Republican Sens. Kate Brophy McGee and Heather Carter killed Herrod's proposal on the Legislature's last day of the session. They mainly objected to spending $2.5 million for the anti-abortion service when their request for only about $1 million to fund a nonprofit state hotline that offers referrals for a myriad of services did not make the cuts.

Read more: https://www.kentucky.com/living/health-and-medicine/article231340523.html