Arizona State House Passes Bill to Repeal Abortion Ban
Arizona state House lawmakers made a significant move on Wednesday by voting to repeal the long-standing ban on abortion that dates back to 1864. This decision comes after multiple failed attempts in recent weeks and a ruling by the state’s Supreme Court upholding the ban.
Changing Tides in the State Legislature
After a series of votes, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including three state House Republicans, joined forces with Democrats to approve the repeal of the Civil War-era law that criminalized abortion. This law imposed penalties of two to five years in prison for individuals involved in performing or facilitating abortions.
The state Senate, where Republicans hold a slight majority, had previously shown support for repealing the ban. With the recent developments in the House, the Senate is expected to follow suit, paving the way for Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs to sign the repeal into law promptly.
National and Local Reactions
The decision to repeal the abortion ban in Arizona has garnered praise from abortion rights advocates, Democrats, and even the White House. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre commended the move as a step in the right direction.
Following the state Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the ban, there was a nationwide call for its repeal, with prominent figures like former President Donald Trump weighing in on the issue. Despite initial resistance from some Republican lawmakers, the pressure to repeal the ban eventually led to a breakthrough in the state House.
Challenges and Controversies
During the House proceedings, Republican opponents of the repeal voiced their concerns, emphasizing the need for a more deliberative legislative process. However, with mounting pressure and shifting political dynamics, the repeal bill ultimately passed with bipartisan support.
While the repeal marks a significant victory for abortion rights advocates, the fight is far from over. Efforts to delay the implementation of the ban and potential ballot measures to secure abortion rights in the state continue to shape the ongoing debate.
Looking Ahead
As Arizona navigates the complex landscape of reproductive rights, the upcoming state Senate vote and potential ballot measures will play a crucial role in shaping the future of abortion policy in the state. The decision to repeal the long-standing ban reflects a broader national conversation on reproductive rights and the role of state legislatures in shaping these policies.
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Arizona State House Votes to Repeal Outdated Abortion Ban from 1864
Controversy Revealed: Brigade Commander’s Conversation with Former Marine Division Commander Lim Seong-geun during Flood Search
[앵커]
The content of the conversation between the brigade commander of the unit belonging to the corporal who died during the search for people missing from the floods in July last year and the former commander of the 1st Marine Division Lim Seong-geun has been made public.
Field commanders had asked for the search to be stopped at the time, but former division commander Lim allowed the search to continue. In response, former division commander Lim said that he was only expressing his opinion because the command authority in the field at the time belonged to the army. .
This is reporter Kim Deok-hoon.
[리포트]
It was confirmed that the commander of the 7th Brigade of the 1st Marine Division, sent to the scene of the flood at the time of the incident of the death of Corporal Chae, issued a statement suggesting that the search be discontinued to the former Marine. The commander of the 1st division of the Lim Seong-geun corps, but was not accepted.
This observation was made during a telephone call with the commander of the 7th Artillery Battalion of the 7th Brigade on July 18 last year, the day before Corporal Chae’s death, and it was raining heavily that day as well.
[7여단장/음성변조/지난해 7월 18일: “○○아 그쪽(실종자 수색 현장) 상황이 좀 어떠냐?”]
[포병7대대장/음성변조/지난해 7월 18일 : “비가 많이 와서 (장병들에게) 잠깐 차에 타 있으라고 했습니다.”]
The brigade commander also ruled that withdrawal was not permitted, saying, “It is up to the commander on scene to make the decision.”
The idea is that we have already proposed it to the division commander, but it was not accepted.
[7여단장/음성변조 : “정식으로 철수 지시는 상황이 애매하다. 사단장님께 몇 번 건의드렸는데…첫 날부터, 알잖아?”]
This statement contradicts former division commander Lim’s assertion that he did not have effective operational control of the search site and was therefore not responsible for Corporal Chae’s death.
Former division commander Lim maintained the position that “the authority and responsibility for ensuring safety during operational activities lies with the 50th Army Division, which is an operational control unit.”
In this regard, former division commander Lim told KBS: “The commander of the 7th brigade, who was with me at the time, asked for my opinion and I presented my opinion. The brigade commander made a recommendation to the commander of the 50th Army Division and it was approved.”
In the end it is true that the former division commander Lim then presented his opinion on the search to the brigade commander, but it was not an order.
Furthermore, opinions on the search were explained as meaning that the brigade commander only asked and answered first.
I’m Kim Deok-hoon from KBS News.
Video editor: Jo Wan-ki / Graphics: Ko Seok-hoon
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State Secretary Leroy sees merit in an international treaty for the rights of the elderly
© ROBIN UTRECHT
State Secretary for Equal Opportunities Marie-Colline Leroy (Ecolo) believes that an international treaty can provide a boost for changes that help older people move forward. She is responding to the call that a number of organizations have launched on governments to support a separate UN treaty for the elderly.
Source: BELGA
Yesterday at 10:06
The organizations believe that the human rights of the elderly are systematically violated. In their view, an international treaty can be an incentive to better adapt human rights legislation to the reality of the elderly in our society.
State Secretary Leroy is on the same wavelength. “The current regulations today, including the fight against age discrimination, are not sufficient to be able to speak of full and real equal rights in the daily lives of the elderly,” she believes. “An international treaty can act as a driving force for profound changes that help older people move forward day in, day out. Other treaties have taught us that.”
According to UN figures, older people make up about 10 percent of the world‘s population. In our country, just like in other Northern European countries, it is twice as much. “They form an enormous reservoir of life experience and years of accumulated expertise in the domains in which they were active. They play a central role in caring for younger generations, elderly relatives or neighbors, people with disabilities. They are too often pushed away or hidden away and in doing so we are not only shortchanging them but also ourselves,” says Leroy.
If you look deeper at the figures, you will see that standing up for more rights for the elderly goes hand in hand with standing up for more rights for women, according to the State Secretary’s office. Of the people over 65 in our country, just over 55 percent are women. The unequal opportunities that girls and women experience throughout the life course are extended to later ages. This also applies to the gender gap in finance. Figures from PensionStat.be, for example, show that the pension gap between women and men is 23 percent.
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State Secretary Leroy sees merit in an international treaty for the rights of the elderly