Interstate Abortion Bill Nears Passage

Interstate Abortion Bill Nears Passage

Taking a teenager across state lines to get an abortion without a parent's knowledge would become a crime punishable by prison under a bill that headed toward Senate passage Tuesday.

Struggling to defend their majority this election year, Republican sponsors said the bill supports what a majority of the public believes: that a parent's right to know takes precedence over a young woman's right to have an abortion.

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The measure would make taking a pregnant teenager over state lines to obtain an abortion a crime punishable by fines and up to a year in prison. The girl and her parents would be protected from prosecution and an exception would be made in cases where the pregnancy endangered the teen's life.