A federal judge in Arizona just obliterated three longstanding pro-life laws on Friday, waving the wand of a freshly minted 2024 state constitutional amendment that enshrines abortion as a right up to viability—and beyond in some cases. The laws in question? Bans on telemedicine abortions, chemical abortions after seven weeks without in-person visits, and requirements for abortion providers to report complications. Gone, all in the name of this new fundamental right voters narrowly approved last November amid a barrage of out-of-state cash from pro-abortion groups. It’s a stark reminder of how ballot initiatives can steamroll legislative protections for the unborn, turning courts into cleanup crews for radical amendments.
But here’s the pro-2A angle that should have Second Amendment defenders on high alert: this ruling is a textbook case of judicial activism mirroring the exact playbook used against our gun rights. Think about it—the same right to abortion amendment language employs vague, expansive terms like fundamental liberty and bodily autonomy, echoing the penumbras and emanations justices like Breyer and Sotomayor invoke to gut concealed carry laws or assault weapon bans. Arizona’s Prop 139 didn’t just legalize killing the unborn; it created a constitutional super-right that overrides prior statutes, much like how Bruen’s text-history-and-tradition test is now being twisted (or ignored) by judges to uphold red-flag laws and ghost gun regs. If courts can nullify duly passed pro-life measures overnight because they burden this new right, what’s stopping them from striking down shall-issue permitting or standard-capacity magazine limits under the same infringes on core freedoms pretense?
The implications for the 2A community are crystal clear: we must fight tooth and nail against these Trojan horse amendments that embed judicial veto power into state constitutions. Arizona Republicans are already vowing appeals, but this sets a precedent that could cascade to battleground states like Nevada or Michigan, where similar abortion props loom. Gun owners, take note—your AR-15 is next if we don’t rally to protect the original shall not be infringed from these liberty-laundering tactics. Time to double down on pro-2A ballot measures and judicial picks before the courts turn the Bill of Rights into a choose-your-own-adventure book.
