Tennessee bill targets adults who take minors out of state for abortion

The Tennessee Legislature introduced a bill Monday targeting adults who take minors out of the state to have an abortion.

The bill says an adult who “recruits, harbors, or transports a pregnant unemancipated minor within this state for the purpose of” aiding them in getting access to actions that constitute “criminal abortion” under Tennessee law “commits the offense of abortion trafficking of a minor,” despite where the action occurs.

It also notes that the minor consenting to the actions would not be a viable “defense to a prosecution.”

President Biden went after former President Trump for the recent rise of restrictions to abortion access in the U.S. at a campaign rally Tuesday, when he warned his supporters about the risks Trump’s possible return to the White House poses to reproductive rights.

“Let there be no mistake: The person most responsible for taking away this freedom in America is Donald Trump,” Biden said.

“The reason women are being forced to travel across state lines for health care is Donald Trump,” he added. “The reason their fundamental right has been stripped away is Donald Trump.”

The former president appointed three of the judges who ruled in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade in mid-2022, kicking off a wave of increasing restrictions on abortion in states including Tennessee.

“Donald Trump is betting we won’t vote on this issue. … He’s betting you’re going to stop caring … that you’ll get distracted, discouraged and stay home,” Biden said. “Well guess what? I’m betting he’s wrong.”

Biden and Trump are most likely headed for a rematch of the 2020 presidential election this year, with Trump now having won both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, according to projections from Decision Desk HQ/The Hill.