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Heated hearing on HB 609: bill targeting out‑of‑state abortion facilitation draws fierce opposition
Summary
Representative Carrie Seekins Crowe's HB 609 would criminalize certain out‑of‑state abortion facilitation and 'trafficking'; proponents said it closes perceived regulatory gaps, while a large coalition of opponents — medical societies, clinics, victims, and civil‑liberties groups — warned it would criminalize travel for legal care, conflict with Montana constitutional privacy protections, and risk prosecuting patients and caregivers.
Representative Carrie Seekins Crowe opened the hearing on House Bill 609 by characterizing the measure as an effort to stop “abortion trafficking” and to protect minors and women from unscrupulous operators that she described as prioritizing profit over safety.
Supporters including the Montana Family Foundation and faith‑based groups argued HB 609 targets coercive or cross‑border schemes that transport minors or vulnerable people for abortions without parental consent or medical safeguards. Proponents framed the bill as compatible with the voter‑approved constitutional amendment in narrow circumstances (for example, post‑viability…
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