By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services
Key Points:
- Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoes HB2040
- HB2040 would have linked adoption information to contraception and STI discussions
- Hobbs increases financial support for foster care families and children
Arizona won’t require schools and colleges that discuss contraception and sexually transmitted diseases to also talk about adoption.
That comes from Gov. Katie Hobbs, who on April 7 vetoed HB 2040, a measure which would have mandated the sharing of information about adoption with students who seek medical attention or advice for those issues. And that includes when providing contraceptives and testing for students concerned with sexually transmitted infections, something that is done at the college and university level.
The proposal came from Rep. Rachel Keshel, who called it a reaction of sorts to Proposition 139, which was promoted as providing more choices for women. That measure, approved by voters in 2024, provides a constitutional right of women to terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability, generally considered between 22 and 24 weeks.
“It seems to me to be more pro-abortion and not pro-choice,” said the Tucson Republican who opposed the initiative. “And we don’t talk enough about the other choices that people might have.”
