Bill to fight abortion travel ban!
California Governor Gavin Newsom has unveiled plans for an advertising campaign aimed at countering efforts in several Republican-led states to ban out-of-state travel for abortions and other reproductive services.
The campaign, set to launch on Monday, will include TV commercials and an online petition drive, starting with a focus on Tennessee’s proposed “abortion trafficking” bill.
This legislation, similar to laws passed in Idaho, seeks to criminalize assisting minors in obtaining abortions without parental consent. Similar measures 
are also being considered in Oklahoma and Mississippi, according to Newsom.
Newsom emphasized that the situation is even worse than it seems at first glance. He pointed out that these lawmakers are not only limiting young women’s rights and autonomy regarding pregnancy decisions but also controlling their future prospects by restricting their ability to travel for reproductive care.
Supporters of the Tennessee measure argue that it could criminalize not just transporting a minor for an abortion, but also providing information about nearby abortion services or informing individuals about states with more lenient abortion laws.
Vision behind this campaign?
Republican state Rep. Jason Zachary, a co-sponsor of the proposal, has described it as a “parental rights bill.” Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, advocates against abortion have been urging states to outlaw the procedure and devise methods to prevent pregnant women and minors from traveling across state lines to access abortions.
Idaho has already implemented a law known as “abortion trafficking,” which prohibits obtaining abortion pills for a minor or aiding them in leaving the state for an abortion without parental consent or knowledge.
Newsom, a prominent Democrat often considered a potential presidential candidate, revealed that his RightToTravel.org initiative will be funded by a national political action committee he established last spring with $10 million from his state campaign funds. Known as the “Campaign for Democracy,” the effort aims to bolster Joe Biden and other Democratic candidates while opposing conservative Republican policies, he explained.
Democrats and progressive organizations have relied on abortion rights as a key issue to energize voters ahead of the upcoming presidential election and congressional battles for control.
They believe that advocating for abortion access can resonate with voters, especially as the conversation expands to include concerns about miscarriage care, medication access, emergency care, and in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. A recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court has raised uncertainties about future access to IVF.
