Center For Arizona Policy Spearheads Right-To-Refuse Bill
Some Democratic lawmakers want to lessen the influence of a conservative think tank. The Center for Arizona Policy was put in the spotlight last week for spearheading SB1062, the controversial right-to-refuse bill. Now they plan to back new legislation, and Democrats must plan what to do about it.
The Center for Arizona Policy is spearheading another bill that just passed through the House Tuesday and is headed for the Senate. HB2284 would allow surprise inspections of abortion clinics in Arizona.
Democratic legislators spoke out Tuesday against the bill and Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy.
"Cathi Herrod has not been elected to any office in this state. She’s not accountable to any voter in this state," said Democratic House Minority Leader Chad Campbell. "Yet she seems to wield more power than any person down here."
Campbell hopes the same people who opposed 1062 will come out against this latest abortion bill. But Josh Kredit, legal counsel with the center, said he is not too worried about opposition.
"This will not be impacted at all by what happened with 1062. This is an unrelated bill; it is a common-sense measure," said Kredit.
But, it is a measure that has failed in the past. In 2004, a federal court ruled unwarranted inspections of abortion clinics unconstitutional. Kredit said at the time of the ruling, abortion clinics were not regulated the same as other health clinics. But he is confident the measure would be upheld in court today, because there are more regulations are in place.
