Three Republicans in the Arizona House defected from a united GOP front to defeat a measure banning manufacturing or prescribing medication that would cause an abortion.
The bill that unexpectedly failed Thursday evening would have eliminated the choice used by half of the people who have abortions in the state, leaving only surgery as an option.
It is one of two major anti-abortion bills in the Republican-controlled Legislature this year.
The other outlaws abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy and has passed the Senate.
Of the 13,186 abortions in Arizona in 2020 half were done using medication and only 636 came after 15 weeks of pregnancy.