Arizona Senate votes to repeal 1864 abortion ban

Legislators in Arizona's upper house voted Wednesday to repeal an 1864 law banning abortion, a month after the state's Supreme Court said the Civil War-era rule was valid.

That law, which was drafted long before Arizona became a state and before women had the right to vote, made it a criminal offense for anyone to carry out an abortion, and allowed for prison sentences of up to five years for anyone convicted.