Women traveling from another state to get an abortion in Hawaii and medical professionals who perform the procedure will be protected from legal punishment under an executive order signed Tuesday by Hawaii Gov. David Ige.
The decision came after 14 states banned abortion in line with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June that overturned Roe v. Wade. In addition, some states are seeking criminal liability for women obtaining an abortion elsewhere as well as medical providers who provide the service. The order takes immediate effect.
“We will not cooperate with any other state that tries to prosecute women who receive an abortion in Hawaii, and we will not cooperate with any other state that tries to sanction medical professionals who provide abortion in Hawaii,” Ige said at a news conference.
Hawaii was the first state in the country to legalize abortion in 1970, and Ige pointed out that the state’s constitution guarantees privacy and personal autonomy.
The abortion bans have prompted some women to travel elsewhere for the medical procedure, drawing threats of legal action against them and those who facilitate the procedure. Texas has imposed a so-called bounty system, allowing ordinary people to sue those involved in the abortions and receive $10,000 if their efforts are successful, according to The New York Times.
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