Women in Arizona may soon find it a lot easier to get to get birth control.
On a 32-24 vote, the House on Monday approved allowing pharmacists to dispense certain kinds of contraceptives without getting a prescription. More to the point, it would eliminate the need to first go to a doctor.
SB1082 would have Arizona join more than a dozen states that already have eliminated the requirement for a prescription.
But the change, which still requires Senate ratification, does not mean women could simply march in to a pharmacy and demand birth control of their choice.
Pharmacists would first be required to screen would-be recipients to determine if they are candidates for the kinds of contraceptives that use hormones. That includes not just the birth control pill but also other hormone-infused devices like a vaginal ring and patches.
Gov. Doug Ducey is ratcheting up the pressure on GOP lawmakers to reach an agreement on the budget, vowing not to sign any other legislation that reaches his desk until he gets a budget, and backing up his threat by vetoing 22 bills.
The battle over gun control is emerging as a campaign issue heading into the midterms as gun violence rises in the U.S.The country has seen a wave of gun-related deaths as it reopens amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive for NBC News, firearm deaths increased by 15 percent last month compared to the same period in 2019.Republicans have attributed the rise in violence to progressive efforts to.
Just a week after Arizona Republicans introduced a bill aiming to restrain her powers as Secretary of State, Katie Hobbs announced a bid for governor on Wednesday. The post Arizona’s Democratic Secretary of State Announces Campaign for Governor a Week After State GOP Introduced Bill to Strip Her Powers first appeared on Law & Crime.