Arizona
Arizona abortion ruling places state among strictest in US, residents react
PHOENIX – Today the Arizona Supreme Court came down with a ruling that will implement a near-total ban on abortion across the state with an exception for mothers whose lives are in danger mid-pregnancy.
Politicians across the state – and country – issued their thoughts on the ruling with mixed emotions on the law that has origins dating back to 1864. Now Arizonans are reacting.
Arizona Supreme Court abortion law: citizens react
Reaction has been pouring in regarding the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision on abortion law in the state. From lawmakers to concerned citizens, everyone seems to have thoughts on the ruling. FOX 10’s Kenzie Beach has more.
Resident David Mitchell supports the ruling.
“It’s terrible, absolutely, what may happen to some women in this world, but I don’t believe that makes up for the right of the child to live,” he said.
Others like Cyndie Mathers said that politicians have no place in deciding what happens to a woman’s body.
“I’ve been on both sides, you know. I placed a child for adoption and I was assaulted when I was a teenager and had to choose the other thing, the abortion,” she said.
“I think it’s a sad day for Arizona. Really sad day for Arizona.”
AZ abortion law: What to know about the Civil War-era ban
FOX 10’s Justin Lum takes a deeper look into the state’s near-total abortion ban that dates back to pre-statehood days, as well as the court ruling that allowed it to be enforced once again.
The decision placed Arizona among the strictest in regards to abortion laws among battleground states ahead of the November election. Organizations in Arizona that carry out abortions have two weeks until the law goes into effect.
AZ abortion law: People react to ruling on ban
As news spread that Arizona’s Supreme Court has allowed a near-total abortion ban that dates back to pre-statehood days to once again take effect, people are weighing in on the ruling. FOX 10’s Kenzie Beach reports.
Gabrielle Goodrick from Camelback Family Planning is concerned for her patients.
“I think everyone should be very concerned,” she said. “This is going to cause an incredible disruption in getting patients the healthcare they need. It’s scary, damaging, confusing and it’s completely unnecessary.”
Camelback Family Planning says they have not seen an influx of calls but they expect more to come through, especially from patients that are already in their care.
Cardinals’ Burch shares what he learned as a rookie in 2025
Arizona Cardinals second-year player Jordan Burch says his defensive line teammates have formed a bond heading into the 2026 NFL season.
Last year in early July, Cardinals edge rusher Jordan Burch was a rookie third-round draft pick out of Oregon who was looking forward to his first NFL training camp and eventual first season.
That rookie year is behind him now, and Burch has identified what he needs to improve on heading into his second season. He said he now knows what to expect and look for, and after talking with outside linebackers coach Matt Feeney, Burch built an offseason plan with which he was comfortable.
“I don’t think anything was like a surprise,” Burch said on Thursday, July 9, at the Cardinals’ Tempe headquarters. “I kind of know what to prep for, so this offseason I can look at my old plays, and then I can call my coach and tell him, from last year to this year, what does he want to see on the field.”
Burch seeks to improve his pass rush. He played in all 17 games last season and had five solo tackles with a sack, and also broke up three passes.
Much of his position was dropping into pass coverage, so Burch looks to recognize pass catchers’ routes better in 2026. He gets help from veteran Josh Sweat, who is there to answer questions about the position they share.
“Every week, every game going against somebody good,” Burch said about takeaways from last season. “The talent of the quarterbacks. We’re playing the Rams, how quickly they get the ball out.”
Burch looks forward to building a stronger bond with his teammates, having invited some of them for dinner or to watch TV. He said he was happy with his progress as a player throughout last season.
The Cardinals open training camp Wednesday, July 22, at State Farm Stadium. It’s a week earlier than most teams because Arizona plays the Carolina Panthers in the Aug. 6 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald will be among those inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Aug. 8.
A new study has ranked Arizona as one of the worst states to move to for two years in a row, largely due to what it calls a poor quality of life.
The study conducted by Consumer Affairs analyzed the best states to move to in the United States, putting Arizona at the bottom of the list.
Before Arizonans get too defensive about the Grand Canyon State, Consumer Affairs used factors such as affordability, safety, economic strength and education to measure each state, leaving out factors like entertainment, retirement benefits and other considerations that may be important to people living here.
Popular states such as California and New York also landed at the bottom of the list due to their lack of affordability, even though they both have some of the best health care and education in the nation, Consumer Affairs noted.
Here’s why the study says you shouldn’t move to Arizona. Do you agree?
Why you shouldn’t move to Arizona
Arizona ranked No. 10 out of the worst states to move to, scoring especially poorly in quality of life.
Quality of life was measured by the state’s Social Progress Index, average air quality, weather, environmental protection and number of national parks. Due to Arizona’s extreme summers and Phoenix’s consistently poor air quality, it’s easy to see why Arizona ranked No. 44 in quality of life out of 50 states, even though the Grand Canyon is one of the most popular national parks in the nation.
However, Arizona also ranked poorly in other categories, sitting at No. 42 in health care and education, No. 41 in safety and No. 34 in affordability out of 50 states.
There was one category Arizona did impressively well in, ranking No. 5 in economic strength even as one of the youngest states in the country. Still, Arizona’s economic power wasn’t enough to boost its ranking.
Top 10 worst states to move to
Arizona wasn’t alone; some of the biggest states in the country were also considered the worst states to move to in 2026.
- New Mexico
- Louisiana
- California
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Nevada
- Alaska
- Mississippi
- Oregon
- Arizona
Top 10 best states to move to
- Utah
- New Hampshire
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- Maine
- North Dakota
- Pennsylvania
- Iowa
- South Dakota
PHOENIX — Arizona’s ACA marketplace enrollment fell from 363,000 to just over 255,000 in a single year — a nearly 30% decline and the third-largest annual drop in the country.
Rising premiums and expired tax credits are driving the trend, with the average benchmark plan premium in Arizona now at $532 — up 30% from 2025.
In the player above, ABC15 Data Analyst Garrett Archer takes a look inside the numbers on how healthcare premiums are impacting health insurance enrollment.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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