An Arizona judge has blocked several abortion restrictions, clearing the way for broader access to care across the state.
On Friday, Gregory Como, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge, struck down three Arizona laws that limited abortion access, including a ban on telemedicine abortions. The court ruled that the restrictions conflicted with a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2024 that protects abortion rights.
Como said the laws violated Arizonans’ “fundamental right to abortion under Arizona law” and did not show any meaningful benefit to patient health, according to Reuters.
“Each of these laws infringe on a woman’s ‘autonomous decision making’ by mandating medical procedures and disclosure of information regardless of the patient’s needs and wishes,” Como wrote in his ruling.
The blocked provisions included rules requiring patients to give a reason for seeking an abortion, mandating an ultrasound at least 24 hours in advance, forcing multiple in-person clinic visits for counseling and care, and banning abortion pills from being mailed to patients.
Republican leaders Steve Montenegro and Warren Petersen defended the restrictions, arguing they were health and safety measures. Petersen’s office told The Associated Press that the decision would be appealed.
The lawsuit was filed by two Arizona OB-GYN doctors and the Arizona Medical Association, along with the American Civil Liberties Union and its Arizona affiliate.
“These medically unnecessary restrictions have long made it harder, if not impossible, for Arizonans to get abortion care in the state,” the ACLU said.
Kimya Forouzan of the Guttmacher Institute called the ruling a “major win for Arizona abortion seekers,” adding that it would reduce delays and expand options, including telehealth.
