Republican Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart of Maine is sounding the alarm over a bill moving through the state Legislature that would make the state a sanctuary for minors to undergo abortion and gender reassignment procedures.
Stewart said in an interview on Fox News Digital that the bill would “completely take away parental rights for people who live in different states across the country and turn Maine into a sanctuary state.”
“So if a minor child comes to Maine for an abortion or gender reassignment surgery, or is taken by a non-custodial parent, law enforcement can’t stop them,” Stewart said. . “And it’s a completely radical and crazy idea.”
Maine considers bill that would establish ‘legal rights’ to abortion, transgender surgeries
Previous restrictions on abortion in North Dakota are being challenged in court by what was previously the state’s only abortion clinic. Pictured is an abortion clinic in Idaho. (Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The bill, known as LD 227, is currently being heard in the Health Committee and would establish a “legal right” to abortion and surgical sex reassignment. It would also prevent clinicians who perform the procedure from facing legal penalties.
It would also prohibit “interference” with abortion and gender reassignment procedures, legally protect health care workers from lawsuits, and potentially allow the concealment of medical records from plaintiffs seeking lawsuits against health care providers. .
Republicans opposed to the bill say it could inadvertently allow so-called “kidnappings” of juveniles brought across state lines to Maine in states with stricter restrictions on access to such procedures. It warns that there is. several republicans Lawmakers are concerned that the 21-page bill includes a loophole that would allow children seeking such a procedure to have someone other than their parents give them a ride if they disagree with the child’s decision.
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Maine.senator trey stewart (Fox News Digital)
Stewart emphasized that there are problems with the bill. Because this bill is “about children,” not adults who have the right to make their own decisions.
“There’s nothing law enforcement can do to stop them. That’s why we see so many attorneys general across the country concerned about how far this bill will go.” said.
Earlier this month, a group of 16 Tennessee attorneys general led by Jonathan Scumetti sent a letter to Gov. Janet Mills, Attorney General Aaron Frey, and state legislative leadership calling the bill “state-sanctioned culture war litigation tourism.” “This is a novel initiative in the field.” ”
LD 227 reportedly provides a liability shield for those who assist out-of-state nationals or provide illegal services. It also creates a right of private action to seek damages against state law enforcement, prosecutors, and other officials who enforce each state’s laws, even if the law has been upheld as constitutional by a federal appeals court. will be done.
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Protesters of Kentucky Senate Bill SB150, known as the Transgender Health Care Act, cheer on a speaker during a rally on the lawn of the Kentucky State Capitol on March 29, 2023 in Frankfort, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
“Why should people care about Maine? Because Maine is becoming a liberal bastion of bad ideas that influences other states,” he said.
Currently, at least 23 states restrict or ban transgender surgical procedures for minors. Advocates of the bill in Maine, including Planned Parenthood, argue it would provide much-needed protections for health care workers in the state.
While it is “highly unusual” for a state to intervene in another state’s legislation, the AGs said LD 227’s “unique constitutional violation” merited comment.
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Patience Crozier, director of the LGBTQ+ Legal Advocates Association (GLAD), suggested that restrictive laws against the process in other states are “a truly horrific attack on transgender people.”
“In Maine, where reproductive and transgender health care is legal, I think this bill is extremely important to express Maine values and ensure health care providers are protected from attacks from other states.” Crozier said at a recent meeting. I’m hearing about the bill.
Fox News’ Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.
