As previously noted, the Senate has passed a bill that would impose criminal penalties on anyone who helps a minor travel across state lines from a state that has a parental-notification or -consent law in order to obtain an abortion in a state that has no such restrictions. As the map on my post illustrates, 6 states have no restrictions on minors: Washington, Oregon, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, and Hawai'i. The House previously passed a similar bill [H.R.748; roll call #144], and news reports today say the president has said he will sign a bill if the two houses of Congress can agree on language in conference [NY Times].Maybe my brain isn't firing on all 8 cylinders this morning. But -- quite apart from whether you think a restriction like this is good social policy -- when was the last time Congress criminalized two perfectly legal acts, one of which the Supreme Court has decided is Constitutionally protected as a "fundamental right"?
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