Do This: The Arizona Freedom Trust

May 9, 2024 | Easy A, Reproductive Rights

We’re taking a break from our regular Easy A schedule this week to share some exciting news! 

Have you heard about the 1864 abortion ban that is going into effect in Arizona? Back in April, the state’s Supreme Court ruled that this law — which has been on the books since before Arizona officially became a state — is enforceable. It bans abortion from the moment of conception and makes it a felony to perform abortions or aid women in getting them. 

Thankfully, Governor Katie Hobbs and the Arizona legislature passed and signed a bill that will repeal this archaic ban, but unfortunately the ban will be in place for at least 3 months. 

In addition to the total ban, Arizona has more than 40 laws in place restricting abortion, from a 15-week current ban, to severe limits on medication abortion, to draconian clinic requirements.

Because of this, Arizona patients were already overwhelming California’s clinics, and this is expected to ramp up with the ban in place. Unfortunately, California’s clinics are overtaxed, with only 40% of counties containing a clinic and more than 5,000 women coming from out of state annually. Patients are on waiting lists and traveling long distances to find an appointment.

To help address this crisis, the California legislature has introduced emergency legislation to allow licensed Arizona doctors to practice in the state on Arizona patients. The law will go a long way toward alleviating that stress, allowing more doctors to work out of clinics and giving Arizona providers a sanctuary in which to safely treat their patients.

But there’s a need to cover costs for women who can’t pay for care on their own, which is why Red Wine & Blue has stepped up to help. Together with the guidance of CA Governor Newsom’s office, we’ve created the Arizona Freedom Trust in order to enable Arizona doctors to provide abortion care to Arizona patients in California, and to help Arizona women cover the costs — an estimated need of $500-$700 per patient.

And the Red Wine & Blue community has shown up in a HUGE way, already raising more than $111,000 for these women! The estimated need, however, is much more – California and Arizona are expecting hundreds of patients in the upcoming months — which is why we hope you’ll join us in donating today and spreading the word about the Arizona Freedom Trust

This is a huge opportunity for women across the country to extend our hearts and hands to the people of Arizona. When we come together to care for and support each other, we are unstoppable. Can we count on you to help today?Arizona Freedom Trust

Recent Posts

Do This: Help Your Friends Make Their 2025 Voting Plan

Did you know that Americans get their local news from friends, family, and neighbors more than any other source of information? That means it’s on us to make sure that the people we know are informed about upcoming local elections and have a plan in place to vote. You...

Do This: Make Your 2025 Voting Plan

Election Day – November 4 – is right around the corner, and it’s never too early to make your 2025 voting plan! Use vote.org or your state’s board of elections website to complete this step-by-step checklist: Check your voter registration status. Make sure that your...

Watch This: Why We’re Going Local in 2025

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the chaotic, 24-hour national news cycle and our emotionally charged social media feeds. Everything can feel so big; so distant; so daunting. So isn’t it comforting to know that the best way out of the chaos is to keep our focus close...

Read This: Five Reasons Why We “Go Local”

Lately, you may have seen Red Wine & Blue say, “When they go low, we go local!” What do we mean by that? Almost a decade ago, Michelle Obama made famous the phrase, “When they go low, we go high.” This was the Obama family motto for responding to cruel, hateful...

Do This: Unite Against Soft Censorship

The only way to end censorship, whether it’s the quiet removal of books from library collections or in-your-face book bans, is to fight it head on. We saw a huge example of this – and a big win for free speech – this week when ABC and Disney returned Jimmy Kimmel and...