CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many people are wondering if it is possible to travel to other states to get an abortion. Or, would it lead to legal trouble down the road for seeking a procedure that is banned in their residential state?
THE QUESTION
Do any states currently ban out-of-state travel for abortions?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, no state has currently banned out-of-state travel for abortions.
WHAT WE FOUND
The Constitution states, "The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states."
Rebouche used this example.
"If gambling is illegal in my state, if I go to Las Vegas for the weekend, I'm not going to be punished when I come back to my state where it's not legal," Rebouche said.
Some top Missouri officials have floated legislation that would penalize providers in other states for performing abortions on Missouri residents, but nothing has been signed into law.
Rebouche admits this part of abortion law has not played out in the courts yet.
"There are real questions about whether or not providers who are out of state can even be pulled back into another state," Rebouche said. "There are questions of jurisdiction in that regard, but that this is a novel set of code questions... and I think it's animated by what are the competing priorities of some states."
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