MOSCOW, Idaho — Mackenzie Davidson grew up in a Mormon household and sheepishly admits she knew little about pregnancy.
The law creates a crime of “abortion trafficking” and criminalizes the “recruiting, harboring, or transporting” of minors without parental consent. In a floor speech before the Idaho Legislature voted on the bill, Ehardt said, “We are only looking to protect our children.” Legal experts say Idaho’s travel ban, based on a model bill written by National Right to Life, one of the country’s largest anti-abortion groups, is designed to sidestep implied constitutional protections for interstate travel. The law targets travel assistance within and up to the state’s border, effectively criminalizing medical care legally obtained in neighboring states.
“We have staff who live in Idaho who commute,” said Karl Eastlund, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho. “It’s one big economic region, when you think of the border communities here.” Alexander said he understands that some teenage girls are sexually abused at home or have dysfunctional relationships with their parents. Still, he supports the law.
“We’re talking about sexual abuse and incest,” said Eastlund, sitting upstairs at the clinic in Spokane. “It’s not stuff people want to talk about, but, unfortunately, it’s more common than people think.”