The Mann Act Is Back! <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mann_Act> ...And It's Baaaaaad! ....and it's focused on abortion.
FindLaw: CRIMINALIZING INTERSTATE ABORTION TRAVEL: CONGRESS TARGETS PEOPLE WHO ASSIST MINORS IN TROUBLE By Sherry F. Colb Rutgers law professor Sherry Colb discusses a law that will make criminals of those who cross state lines to help a minor get an abortion in a state where parental notification is not required. Colb argues that the law is unconstitutional -- explaining that, although minors' abortions are less constitutionally-protected than those of adult women, the Constitution forbids a statute from deliberately taking aim at interstate travel regarding abortion, and only abortion -- leaving out all other legal procedures and activities for which people travel to distant states. http://writ.news.findlaw.com/colb/20060809.html .
Two weeks ago, the Senate passed a bill making it a crime to take a minor across state lines to help her obtain an abortion without having to notify her parents. Under the bill's provisions, if the minor's state of origin makes parental notification a prerequisite for access to a legal abortion, the crime could be punished by up to a year in jail. The bill, moreover, will likely become a law relatively soon. The House has already passed its own version, and the President expressed enthusiasm for the enterprise. He said that "I appreciate the Senate's efforts to preserve the integrity of state law and protect our nation's families," and he indicated that once the House and Senate reconcile the differences between their respective versions, he will sign the resulting bill into law.
