ABORTION RIGHTS
Sign of desperation: Making it illegal to drive on roads to get abortions
Women still find ways to get help, support reproductive rights
Anti-abortionists are getting so frustrated that some are pushing cities and counties — at least 50 in Texas alone — to vote to prosecute those who drive women to states that allow reproductive rights.
That state’s six-week abortion ban allows any citizen to sue a person or organization that aids a woman. An organization, Sanctuary City for the Unborn, has been campaigning for local restrictions even in states with extreme abortion bans.
Even if someone is charged with these local travel bans, the laws would most likely be ruled unconstitutional — a violation of the 14th Amendment’s “right to travel” doctrine that allows citizens to move freely between states. Idaho is being sued over a law making it illegal to drive minors out of state without parental consent.
Yet, the community debate generated by these laws often frighten women who may seek abortions into believing their supporters could be sued for driving them. A leading activist described it as “building a wall to stop abortion trafficking.”
