PHOENIX (NEWSnet/AP) — Democrats in the Arizona Legislature made a final push Wednesday to repeal the state’s ban on nearly all abortion.

Voting was not complete, but the Senate had the 16 votes needed to advance the bill.

Fourteen Democrats in the Senate were joined by two Republican votes in favor of repealing the bill.

On April 24, the bill cleared Arizona House of Representatives. It is expected to be signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs.

The near-total ban, which predates Arizona’s statehood, permits abortion only to save the patient’s life, and provides no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest.

In a ruling last month, Arizona Supreme Court suggested doctors could be prosecuted under the 1864 law, which states anyone who assists in an abortion couldbe sentenced to two to five years in prison.

If the repeal bill is signed, a 2022 statute banning the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy would become Arizona’s prevailing abortion law.

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