ShellGame 
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey is playing Arizona citizens for a bunch of rubes by running a slick shell game involving flagrantly unconstitutional laws. You try to guess which of a trio of recent laws does not violate the Constitutional rights of women. Of course, like with any shell game, the joke’s on you–there’s nothing Constitutional here at all.
Ducey recently signed legislation that repealed two blatantly unconstitutional laws that he was advised would be futile to defend in court, while approving another bill that is just as legally indefensible. Arizona government is turned into a carnival game, state attorneys are left trying to defend smoke-and-mirrors legislation, and–the real reason for this hucksterism–abortion providers and defenders are forced to spend time and resources shooting down these bogus laws like they’re playing some sort of anti-choice Atari game.
One of the laws that Ducey was forced to scrap was passed just this last March. It bans doctors from prescribing RU-486 after the seventh week of pregnancy–in direct contradiction to FDA rules passed at the same time! The other law that was rescinded required abortion providers to tell patients that medical abortions are reversible–which violates federal laws AND common sense.
Despite being forced to scrap those laws, Ducey said “I will always stand with those advocating life.” Just not with those advocating legality, as he demonstrated by simultaneously signing yet another law that couldn’t pass Constitutional muster if it was signed by every Founding Father and the guy who wrote “Hamilton.”
That law cuts off Medicaid funding to any healthcare provider who doesn’t fully segregate taxpayer funds to make certain that none of them pay for abortion procedures–including detailed accounting of overhead costs like rent and utilities. There is no doubt that this is targeted directly at abortion providers who also provide other vital healthcare services, such as Planned Parenthood.
This new Arizona law is nothing but a bookkeeping version of a TRAP law–an attempt to trip up providers in red tape and cause them to squander precious resources fighting the law. Let Gov. Ducey know you’re not a sucker–don’t fall for this old con.
