Texas counties are passing ordinances banning travel on highways for out of state abortions. Expect to see this used for families taking trans youth to get care out of state as well next year.
Texas counties are passing ordinances banning travel on highways for out of state abortions. Expect to see this used for families taking trans youth to get care out of state as well next year.
Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn)
Texas highways targeted by antiabortion activists seeking to block interstate travel
A new ordinance, passed in several jurisdictions and under consideration elsewhere, aims to stop people from using local roads to drive someone out of state for an abortion
Strangling commerce to own the libs.
Its just crazy to imagine how this can be enforced.
I have to assume its all after-the-fact. Like, someone travels to get an abortion and then the abusive spouse or nosey neighbors squeal. And then the state tries to trace the route and press charges in a municipal court.
I don't think that they plan to just blockade the highway and hassle everyone who passes through.
This is one of those "my neighbor is suing me for getting an abortion" laws.
One of the first things a fascist state needs to do to really hold on to power is make sure that it's impossible for citizens to live without breaking some law. You don't have enforce those laws 100%, in fact it's better if you don't. You just need to make sure that anyone can be lawfully arrested at practically any convenient time.
They'll get lists of trans kids, database them to car plates and use automated image recognition to know when the cars left the state. This will then be used to prosecute. It may even be used to investigate, such as when they've seen your plate go out of state they send some cistapo round for a home visit to make sure the kid isn't getting treated.
It very much looks like they're inventing a bullshit technicality to oppress their victims since directly punishing people for doing legal stuff in another state would get them in trouble with the federal government.