Arizona lawmaker who announced plans in a floor speech last year to get an abortion is resigning

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PHOENIX (AP) — A Democratic lawmaker who drew attention for revealing in a speech nearly a year ago that she was planning to get an abortion has announced her resignation from the Arizona Legislature.

State Sen. Eva Burch of Mesa said she has been struggling to make ends meet and find balance in her work in the legislature and as a health care provider. Just months into her second term, she added in her statement Wednesday that she was a “a casualty of legislative pay.”

“I hope that the future will see Arizona lawmakers earning a living wage so that our constituents can be represented by working class citizens who understand the pressures of raising a family and struggling to make ends meet here in Arizona,” said Burch, whose resignation is effective March 14.

Nearly a year ago, Burch revealed while speaking on the Senate floor that her pregnancy was no longer viable and that she was planning to get an abortion. Burch, who had previously worked as a nurse practitioner at a women’s health clinic, had said she wanted to share with her colleagues and the public the practical effects of abortion restrictions passed over the years. Burch also criticized restrictions in Arizona as being out of touch.

Her speech came just before the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that a Civil War-era abortion ban could apply. The Legislature repealed the law before enforcement could begin.

In November, Arizona voters approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion access up to fetal viability, typically after 21 weeks.