Gov. Jan Brewer has signed what is likely to be the first legislation in the nation to ban abortions over ethnicity. The law makes it a felony to knowingly perform or provide financing for an abortion sought because of the race or sex of the fetus or a parent's race. The maximum punishment if convicted is 3.5 years in prison. Supporters said they wanted Arizona to prevent discrimination-based abortions, and they disagreed with opponents over whether there was evidence that race and sex selection-based agendas were actually occurring in Arizona. Critics said there was no evidence that selective abortions occur in Arizona, and doctors could face jail time if they lose a newly required affidavit that an abortion is not for selection purposes. "This law creates a highly unusual requirement that women state publicly their reason for choosing to terminate a pregnancy — a private decision they already made with their physician, partner and family," Bryan Howard, chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of Arizona, said in a statement.