An informational pamphlet for Arizona voters who will decide this fall whether to guarantee them the constitutional right to abortion can refer to an embryo or fetus as an “unborn human being,” the state’s highest court ruled Wednesday. The Arizona Supreme Court justices sided with Republican lawmakers who wrote the text, which was sent to all voters in the state, rather than supporters of the abortion rights ballot measure, the AP reports. The ruling drew swift criticism from supporters of the ballot measure, who argued that the term “unborn human being” was neither impartial nor objective and expressed concern that Arizonans could be exposed to biased and politically charged language.
“We are deeply disappointed by this ruling, but will not let it stop us from doing everything in our power to communicate to voters the truth about the Arizona Abortion Access Act and why it is so important to vote YES to restore and protect access to abortion care this fall,” the group Arizona for Abortion Access said in a statement. Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, a Republican who co-chairs the Legislative Council, the panel that drafted the controversial language, said it was intended to help voters understand the current law. The Secretary of State’s office, which determines what is printed on the ballot, said the term “unborn human being” will not appear there, but only in a pamphlet that gives voters information about candidates and ballot measures to help them make their decision.
(More stories from Arizona.)
