By Oakley Seiter and John Leos
(Phoenix) – An Arizona health care advocacy group reached out to people at the recent Arizona State Fair to ask registered voters to sign a petition supporting a ballot initiative that would amend the Arizona Constitution to establish abortion access as a fundamental right.
One of the groups’ volunteers, Janet Hamlin, was there to talk about why she has always supported a woman’s right to choose.
“This is a really big issue for me because I suffered multiple miscarriages, and for one of my miscarriages I needed a medical procedure,” Hamlin said. “I am concerned that procedures like I needed could not have providers willing to provide that or it could be banned. Women’s health care is health care and it is critical.”
Hamlin is one of the many people advocating for increased abortion access in Arizona since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. Later in 2022, an Arizona law went into effect limiting abortion access to 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Healthcare Rising Arizona, an advocacy group that says it has more than 2,000 dues-paying members, tackles health care issues through “ballot box, direct action, and legislation.” The group operated a booth at the Arizona State Fair, where it asked registered voters for their support by signing a petition to put abortion access on Arizona’s general election ballot for 2024.