Washington is barring the state from acting against doctors who perform such abortions, while California and Illinois are considering similar measures. Meanwhile, Democrats are shoring up what remaining protections they have left in order to shield women who travel to get an abortion and ensure patients do not face penalties back home. That speculation could soon become reality as abortion opponents become more emboldened to try novel approaches to prevent women from crossing state lines to terminate a pregnancy.
The Supreme Court’s decision Friday to overturn the constitutional right to abortion has only further fractured an already deep division between the states, where contentious legal battles are almost certain to erupt as legislatures and attorneys general grapple with the new landscape of abortion access.Įven before the opinion, lawmakers, activists and legal scholars were arguing over whether Republican-led states can enforce abortion bans beyond their borders and target providers, people who provide assistance and the women seeking abortions.
