July 31 (Reuters) - Healthcare providers and an abortion rights group on Monday sued Alabama in an effort to block the state from criminally prosecuting people who help others travel out of state to get abortions.
In a lawsuit filed in Montgomery, Alabama federal court, the West Alabama Women's Center, the Alabama Women's Center and its medical director Yashica Robinson said any such prosecutions would violate a basic right to travel between states under the U.S. Constitution.
Alabama in 2019 passed the Human Life Protection Act, a law banning nearly all abortions.
The healthcare providers said the threat of prosecution prevents them from advising patients about where they could travel to get abortions, and the Yellowhammer Fund said it had been forced to shut down its abortion funding in Alabama.
"That includes abortion providers conspiring to violate the Act."
Persons:
Yashica Robinson, Wade, Steve Marshall, Alabamans, Robin Marty, Marshall, Amanda Priest, Brendan Pierson, Bill Berkrot
Organizations:
Healthcare, Monday, Alabama, West Alabama Women's Center, Alabama Women's Center, U.S, U.S . Constitution, Yellowhammer, Supreme, Yellowhammer Fund, West Alabama Women's, Thomson
Locations:
Montgomery , Alabama, U.S ., Alabama, Roe, New York