California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Wednesday that aims to stop other states from prosecuting doctors and pharmacists who mail abortion pills to patients in places where the procedure is banned.

California already has a law protecting doctors who provide abortions from out-of-state judgements. But that law was designed to protect doctors who treat patients from other states who travel to California.

The new law goes further by forbidding authorities from cooperating with out-of-state investigations into doctors who mail abortion pills to patients in other states. It also bans bounty hunters or bail agents from apprehending doctors, pharmacists and patients in California and transporting them to another state to stand trial for providing an abortion.

Other states, including New York and Massachusetts, have similar laws. But California’s law also bars state-based social media companies — like Facebook — from complying with out-of-state subpoenas, warrants or other requests for records to discover the identity of patients seeking abortion pills.

  • dx1@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    We’re just doing the whole routine with the underground railroad and civil war all over again, aren’t we. This country is so stupid.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Except this time, the postal service is involved and it’s illegal to interfere with the mail. It’s a federal offense. State laws do not affect that. So any woman in, say, Texas who gets these pills will be doing so without risk to herself. And now there’s no risk to the doctor either if she gets it from one in California.

      • qooqie@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        They can’t interfere with them getting it, but can prohibit usage right?

          • gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            “Friend” or family member tipping off police and/or subpoenas for electronic messages are two ways that spring to mind, but those can be prevented if people are vigilant

            • lolcatnip@reddthat.com
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              1 year ago

              People need to learn not to allow conservatives in their lives, including family members.

              • gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Exactly, and if you have a fundamentalist Christian friend who seems like a nice person (if you volunteer in animal shelters or food banks or the like you run into a lot of these), know that they will get you arrested without a moment’s doubt and just pray extra hard for you while you’re sitting in a jail cell

              • gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Exactly, it’s a complete disgrace that people will have to be mindful of this crap just to get the reproductive healthcare they need, but if the government can’t stop a people from transporting big old stinky plants on a regular basis good luck stopping people from delivering a few pills on the occasions when they’re needed

              • pau_hana@feddit.de
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                1 year ago

                True, and I am not a lawyer, but I think a judge would be able to issue a warrant if there was reasonable suspicion of a “crime” being committed in that local jurisdiction. Or would something I am overlooking prevent such a warrant? It seems like the woman could be legally vulnerable in such a case.

                • gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  I’m not a lawyer either, but I think you’re absolutely right about potential legal vulnerability, but that probable cause isn’t going to be an easy thing for the prosecution to get. Like, miscarriages just happen all the time, and (theoretically) the strength of probable cause a judge would want to ok a “we’re taking some of your bodily fluids” warrant is going to be about as high as it gets.

              • Maeve@kbin.social
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                1 year ago

                Amazingly, there’s always no funds for relief, plenty for oppression.

      • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        There’s still the wrinkle of sending prescription drugs through the mail is heavily regulated, the average doctor or pharmacist isn’t allowed to just put the pill in an envelope without committing mail fraud.

  • danc4498@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I assume the doctor is still not able to visit those states (or another state without this law) without the fear of being arrested? Such a shitty country we live in.

      • bobman@unilem.org
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        1 year ago

        Literally every republican woman I know is a single mom to a deadbeat dad.

        Crazy how their rhetoric has been flipped on them. These would be nice people otherwise, but they’re surrounded by shitbags so they feel they also need to be shitty in order to fit in.

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
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    The California Catholic Conference opposed the law, arguing the state is “engaging in ideological colonization against states and citizens that do not want abortion.”

    Fucking bring it. California is one of the largest economies in the world. I’d like to see states like Louisiana and Alabama try to fuck with us. Texas might be able to go toe-to-toe, but they’re about the only abortion-banning state that’d even stand a chance.

    FUCK THE PEOPLE WHO VOTE FOR THESE MONSTERS.

  • blazeknave@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    “Gavin is a Republican! Corporate bro!”

    But he’s our corporate shill… still progressive AF for the big leagues. That’s the game. He’s better at it than most Dems on the national stage.

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        There’s a lot of relativity in the left-right stuff.

        Like California right is almost always more left leaning than the US federal left. Similar with Canadian right is more left than US left. But of course, california right is gonna be more right than california left, and canada right is gonna be more right than canada left.

        • TheSaus@lemmy.fmhy.net
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          You cannot honestly tell me that Canadian right is equal or relative to the US left, that’s just ignorant

          • Grumpy@sh.itjust.works
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            Canadian right is not equal to the US left. I never said that, no idea where you’d draw such conclusion. Everything is relative, I don’t see your point.

            Are you trying to say that Canadian right is far more right (authoritarian and/or economic right) than the US left at the federal level? If so… then let’s see…

            • Canadian right (CR) is for single payer public health care. US left (UL) is not, the “Obamacare” is significantly more right. So CR is more economic left.
            • CR is less militarized than UL. So CR is more libertarian.
            • CR is more pro-immigration than UL. All spectrum of the current Canadian government is supporting the current immigration influx, despite all its controversy. So, again CR is more libertarian.
            • CR’s budget always had higher allocation to retirement, unemployment, maternity/paternity leave, etc. than UL. More left again.

            So forth…

            Sure, you’ll might find some points where CR is seemingly more ideologically more authoritarian right than UL. But show me a single major government budget where CR has ever been more economically right than UL. Prove me wrong.

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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    It’s very literally interstate commerce when presented in that fashion.

    Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the US Constitution specifically empowers Congress “to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among states, and with the Indian tribes” (emphasis mine).

    If that doesn’t satisfy someone’s definition of “Constitutional Originalism”, then I don’t know what will.

    Suffice to say: all of these regressive laws around trying to prosecute abortion-related travel and transport of goods that are coming from the legislatures of those states are absolutely unenforceable and categorically bullshit.

    • BigMacHole@lemm.ee
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      Why would Republicans care about the Constitution? This isn’t a School Shooting!

  • Pj55555@lemmy.world
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    Good, states have no business removing abortion rights it should strictly be a federal matter.

  • jaybone@lemmy.world
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    They send us their illegal immigrants. We send them abortion pills.

    Interesting times we live in.

  • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
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    I wonder which laws are going to get struck down first, the ones trying to criminalize things outside their state or the ones decriminalizing things.

    • jmp242@sopuli.xyz
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      Idk about getting struck down, but it seems like laws inside your jurisdiction are going to stand in a way laws outside don’t really. Where it gets tricky is going to be swaths of the country where certain people can’t go for fear of being arrested. Feels like a loosening of federalism to me and more like different countries in a way.

      • HubertManne@kbin.social
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        yeah imagine if your flying from new york to california and your plane has to divert to texas due to an emergency

    • somethingp@lemmy.world
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      They can’t do this with weed until the federal government makes it legal because interstate commerce is under their jurisdiction

  • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Im pretty sure this is federally illegal/unconstitutional. You cant undermine a states law ex post facto as per section 10.

    Feel free to correct me if im wrong

    • TWeaK@lemm.ee
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      Well the offense is being committed outside of the state where the law is. You could also argue that the states banning abortions are the ones infringing on federal law and constitutional rights, because they’re trying to enforce their laws on doctors living outside their jurisdiction.

      • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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        Can you get in trouble for sending a small amount of methamphetamine through the mail for someone in California to consume if you live in Oregon? Its legal in Oregon. Why should Oregon lawmakers punish the person sending the meth if its only illegal in California?

          • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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            I shouldnt have used a fedrally illegal substance as an example 😀

            I suppose if this is not seen as illegal then they should also make buying prescription drugs from out of country legal. This ends war on drugs right? Right?

            • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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              This is still a bad example due to how state and federal law works. A better example would be me buying an old school steel jerry can from say Idaho and having it shipped to where I live here in California. Even though the sale of such jerry cans are illegal in California ownership isnt, and I didnt buy it from an instate vendor.

              Also I dont know if old school steel jerry cans are illegal in Idaho I was just using it as an example, they are illegal to sell in California.

              • TWeaK@lemm.ee
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                Yes but the example here would be someone in Cali ordering a jerry can from Idaho and the company in Idaho mailing it to Cali. Travelling to Idaho to buy a jerry can and bring it back would be fine, but in this case getting it to Cali is a part of the purchase. The purchase is being made across state lines for something that is legal in the state the transaction is made (Idaho) but illegal in the state it’s sent to (Cali). It basically boils down to whether the act of mailing is illegal, I think.

                I’m sure there must be an established precedent or something already.

        • TWeaK@lemm.ee
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          I get what your saying. Obviously your example doesn’t quite work, because meth is illegal in both states and federally. What we’re looking for is something legal federally and in one state, but not the other. I’m sure there must be some established precedent for this kind of thing.

    • BOMBS@lemmy.world
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      This law reminds me of a similar issue before the civil war. From what I remember, the issue was that northern states were forced to send people that escaped enslavement back to the south. The north was sick of that crap, stopped, and the south got upset and formed their failed cessation.

      • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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        Sending people as a human right violation that they saw breaking the rules set by declaration of independence. Yes the underground railroad was breaking constitutional habeas corpus rules but they were also breaking rules of common man.

        Agin may be wrong but i remember that the north used this as the justification for harboring fugitives. This doesnt hold for this case , though, as its breaking interstate ex post facto laws. Its also breaking full faith and credit as stipulated by article IV in the constitution.

        https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/full_faith_and_credit#:~:text=Full faith and credit is,of judgments across the country.

        I have a feeling supreme court will come into play here pretty soon.

          • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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            No because you are free to move between states asvyou wish. Whatever you do in a state is privy to the states laws of which they are in. Its kinda like how you can go to utah, get a polygamist marriage and if you go back to any other state you will go to jail.

            • dragonflyteaparty@lemmy.world
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              Wow, that’s so messed up. To say a person who has a residence in one state committed a crime in another state and can never go back lest they go to jail.

              • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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                Im pretty sure marriage is binding so in this case if you did something that is considered illegal in another state then you get the penalty. Then again, i may be wrong. Dont downvote me just because you dont like the outcome… if I am wrong then prove me wrong.

    • Melllvar@startrek.website
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      I disagree and here’s why.

      The 10th amendment does not constrain the state governments, and this is not an ex post facto law.

      States are not required to enforce the laws of other states, and generally do not have any legal standing to challenge other states’ laws.

      It is generally not legal for a state to prosecute someone for actions that took place outside of their jurisdiction.

      • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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        The problem is this is akin to aiding and abetting on interstate level as an after the fact.

        Article four section two states that judges are not allowed to overrule interstate law.

        • Melllvar@startrek.website
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          Article four section two states that judges are not allowed to overrule interstate law.

          I don’t see that.

          The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.

          • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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            Sorry I meant section 1 with full faith and credit. NAL so idunno wtf im talking about but section 2 seems that this only applies to people fleeing

            Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State.

    • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
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      How exactly does it undermine another states law. And do those state laws count only for residents of the state? Is a pregnant woman passing through a probirth state have the same legal responsibility? What if the fetus was consived in the state? What if I mail a pill to a man in a state and he misplaced the pill?

    • BraveSirZaphod@kbin.social
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      It’s probably fine, as I understand it. The law only concerns what parties under state jurisdiction may do. Federal authorities, which would be involved in an inter-state arrest like this, would not be affected.

      It’s similar to sanctuary city laws, which simply state that city and state officials from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. They don’t make it illegal for those workers to operate; they simply make those officials do all the work themselves.

      • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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        You see, sanctuary cities works because thats for human bodies not pills. This is why Texas is allowed to ship undocumented people to different states without reprecussion. However, protecting people for illegal actions done in other states is not OK. If its illegal to take the medication in Utah after 18 weeks, California needs to respect that.

          • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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            As i have said in another comment, the wau I understand it is laws pertaining to housing bodies is not the same as laws of actions. Much like how owning a slave is one form of illegal and human trafficing is another. Even though they might mean the same thing, they are treated differently.

        • BraveSirZaphod@kbin.social
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          The fundamental point is that it is not the responsibility of California to enforce the laws of Utah. If Utah wants enforcement, they can do it themselves through the appropriate channels, namely federal law enforcement and by dealing with people who actually fall under its jurisdiction, which California doctors do not.

          • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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            I just think those doctors might get hit with a federal crime to go around state laws. Its like saying its ok for a company to sell interstate without taxes as long as the state doesnt find out wink wink

            Edit: also, it is a crime to break the law in another state. A california judge would need to abide by laws made in another. If you get caught speeding in Nevada you would still be able to see a judge about it in New York.

            • halferect@lemmy.world
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              A judge in New York would not see you about anything that isn’t a crime not committed in new York. Crimes have to be tried in the state where they took place. Law enforcement from different states may work together to bring you to that state where the crime happened but if the law enforcement in the state you are in doesn’t recognize the laws from that state then they can’t basically go fuck themselves and as long as you stay outta that state you’re good to go

      • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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        After thinking about it, yeah you are right i think it would fall there. Am i wrong though like is this not applicable?

        Edit: didnt realize i linked to the same thing

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    I’m sure he’ll be removing the prohibition on mailing mushroom spores into the state as to not be hypocritical right?