(The Center Square) – Louisiana, Alabama and Arkansas have filed a lawsuit against California, New York and Massachusetts, alleging those states are helping abortion providers send abortion-inducing drugs into states where the procedure is outlawed, the three plaintiff states’ attorneys general announced Wednesday.
The lawsuit challenges shield laws enacted by the three defendant states after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Those laws are designed to protect doctors and other providers from investigations, lawsuits, extradition requests and professional discipline stemming from abortion services that are legal in their home states.
kAmkDA2?m{@F:D:2?2[ p=232>2 2?5 pC<2?D2D 2C6 2D<:?8 E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE E@ 962C E96 =2HDF:E 5:C64E=J[ 3FE {@F:D:2?2 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= {:K |FCC:== D2:5 E96 4@FCE 92D 5:D4C6E:@? @G6C H96E96C E@ 2446AE E96 42D6[ 2 A@D:E:@? D@>6 ;FDE:46D 5:DAFE6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmQp ?F>36C @7 FD 92G6 2 =682= @A:?:@? E92E E96J 2C6 @3=:82E65 F?56C E96 r@?DE:EFE:@? E@ E2<6 E96 42D6[Q |FCC:== D2:5] QyFDE:46 p=:E@ 2?5 yFDE:46 %9@>2D 3@E9 36=:6G6 E92E :E :D >2?52E@CJ E92E E96J 2DD6CE ;FC:D5:4E:@?] %96 4FCC6?E DE2E6 @7 E96 =2H C:89E ?@H :D E92E E96J 6I6C4:D6 5:D4C6E:@? @G6C H96E96C E@ 2446AE :E @C ?@E]Qk^Am
kAm%96 4@>A=2:?E 2==686D E96 D9:6=5 =2HD 92G6 67764E:G6=J :?DF=2E65 @FE\@7\DE2E6 AC@G:56CD 7C@> {@F:D:2?2 :?G6DE:82E:@?D 2?5 6?7@C46>6?E 677@CED] {@F:D:2?2 4FCC6?E=J 92D EH@ 6IEC25:E:@? C6BF6DED :?G@=G:?8 5@4E@CD :? r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 }6H *@C<[ 2?5 3@E9 DE2E6D 92G6 C67FD65 E@ 4@>A=J]k^Am
kAmQx7 x D6?E 8F?D E@ 96C DE2E6 :? G:@=2E:@? @7 E9@D6 =2HD[ x 5@?VE E9:?< D96 H@F=5 92G6 E96 D2>6 C624E:@? E@ 96C DE2E6 ECJ:?8 E@ 6?7@C46 :ED =2HD E@ AC6G6?E FD 7C@> D6?5:?8 H62A@?D E@ 96C DE2E6 :? G:@=2E:@? @7 E96:C DE2E6 =2HD[Q |FCC:== D2:5 @7 }6H *@C< v@G] z2E9J w@49F=]k^Am
kAmp {@F:D:2?2 8C2?5 ;FCJ AC6G:@FD=J :?5:4E65 }6H *@C< A9JD:4:2? |2C82C6E r2CA6?E6C @G6C 2==682E:@?D E92E D96 AC6D4C:365 23@CE:@? 5CF8D E92E H6C6 D6?E E@ 2 AC68?2?E {@F:D:2?2 E66?286C] w@49F= C67FD65 {@F:D:2?2’D 6IEC25:E:@? C6BF6DE[ 4:E:?8 96C DE2E6’D AC@E64E:@?D[ 2?5 }6H *@C< =2E6C 492?865 :ED =2H E@ 2==@H AC6D4C:36CD @7 23@CE:@? >65:42E:@? E@ <66A E96:C ?2>6D @77 AC6D4C:AE:@? =236=D]k^Am
kAm{@F:D:2?2 2=D@ D@F89E E96 6IEC25:E:@? @7 r2=:7@C?:2 A9JD:4:2? #6>J r@6JE2FI 27E6C 244FD:?8 9:> @7 >2:=:?8 23@CE:@? >65:42E:@? E@ {@F:D:2?2] r2=:7@C?:2 v@G] v2G:? }6HD@> C67FD65 E@ 4@@A6C2E6 H:E9 E96 C6BF6DE]k^Am
kAm|FCC:== 4@>A2C65 E96 C67FD2=D E@ 4@@A6C2E6 H:E9 564=:?:?8 E@ 6IEC25:E6 D@>6@?6 244FD65 @7 D9:AA:?8 4@42:?6 @C 76?E2?J= :?E@ 2?@E96C DE2E6]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 ?6HD 4@?76C6?46 2??@F?4:?8 E96 =2HDF:E[ |FCC:== H2D ;@:?65 3J pC<2?D2D pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= %:> vC:77:? 2?5 p=232>2 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= $E6G6 |2CD92==] t249 2C8F65 E96 5:DAFE6 F=E:>2E6=J 4@?46C?D H96E96C DE2E6D 42? 6?7@C46 E96:C @H? 23@CE:@? =2HD]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D[ :? =2C86 A2CE[ 23@FE 7F=7:==:?8 H92E s@33D ]]] H2D 23@FE[ H9:49 :D 6249 DE2E6 564:5:?8 E9C@F89 E96:C 5F=J 6=64E65 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D H92E E96 =2H @7 E9@D6 DE2E6D 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 2?5 6?7@C4:?8 E92E =2H[Q vC:77:? D2:5]k^Am
kAm|2CD92== 56D4C:365 E96 46?EC2= :DDF6 >@C6 D:>A=Ji Q(9@ 86ED E@ 564:56nQk^Am
kAmQ~FC 6=64E65 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D :? p=232>2 92G6 564=2C65 23@CE:@? F?=2H7F=[Q |2CD92== D2:5] Q(6 92G6 E96 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ[ 2D H6== 2D F?56C @FC DJDE6> @7 =2H[ E96 23:=:EJ E@ 36 23=6 E@ 6?7@C46 @FC =2HD]Qk^Am
kAm|FCC:== D2:5 :?G6DE:82E@CD :? E96 E9C66 DE2E6D 92G6 2=D@ 4@?5F4E65 4@?EC@==65 AFC492D6D @7 23@CE:@? 5CF8D @?=:?6[ :?4=F5:?8 3J AC@G:5:?8 72=D6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE E96 3FJ6C @C AC68?2?4J]k^Am
kAm%96 DE2E6D 2C6 2D<:?8 E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE E@ 564=2C6 E96 D9:6=5 =2HD F?4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 2?5 3=@4< @77:4:2=D :? r2=:7@C?:2[ }6H *@C< 2?5 |2DD249FD6EED 7C@> 6?7@C4:?8 E96>]k^Am
kAmq67@C6 C6249:?8 E9@D6 2C8F>6?ED[ 9@H6G6C[ E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE >FDE 7:CDE 564:56 H96E96C E@ 2==@H E96 DE2E6DV 42D6 E@ AC@4665]k^Am