Alabama attorney general says he has right to prosecute people who facilitate travel for out-of-state abortions
Alabama’s Republican attorney general said in a court filing that he has the right to prosecute people who make travel arrangements for pregnant women to have out-of-state abortions.
In a court filing Monday, attorneys for Attorney General Steve Marshall wrote that providing transportation for women in Alabama to leave the state to get an abortion could amount to a “criminal conspiracy.”
The court filing comes in response to lawsuits against Marshall that was filed in July from two women’s health centers and Yellowhammer Fund, an organization which says it provides “financial and practical support for those who are pregnant and require assistance.” The plaintiffs argue that Marshall violated their constitutional rights by publicly stating that organizations which help pregnant women in Alabama get an abortion out of state could be criminally investigated.
“Alabama can no more regulate out-of-state abortions than another state can deem its laws legalizing abortions to apply to Alabama,” the Yellowhammer Fund lawsuit argues.
Interstate commerce is regulated by federal government; they could block this easily but Republicans are filibustering any attempt.
If I were a Democrat and I saw that 6–3 Supreme Court, I would be very wary of attempting anything involving interstate commerce. The Supreme Court clearly has no regard for precedent or consistency anymore, the last thing I want to do is call attention to one of the most potent weapons I have for checking the powers of state governments and the executive branch.
That would be the quickest way to destroy every red state's infrastructure funding and blue states could easily retaliate saying that they don't recognize driver's licenses from red states and won't let in the so-called citizens without a passport.
This is a particularly dumb move given that the states likeliest to produce the greatest number of climate change refugees over the next few decades are Texas and Florida; the Northeastern states would be perfectly delighted to have a legal excuse to shut the door on them.
What makes you think blue states could get away with the same bullshit as red states? The only standards in play are double standards.
You assume that rulings would be consistent. If you read any of the recent decisions you will note plenty of hypocrisy and a decided lack of reasoning consistency in their written opinions. It is almost as if they are trying to justify a predetermined outcome...
So you'll see plenty of rulings in favor of things red states like and against things blue states like.