Texas County Outlaws Travel for Abortion, Restricting Women's Access

Lubbock County in Texas has become the largest county to pass a ban on travel assistance for abortions, joining three other smaller counties in the state. These local ordinances, drafted by anti-abortion activists, aim to prevent people from helping women travel to nearby states where abortion is still legal. The ordinances rely on private citizens filing lawsuits for enforcement, similar to Texas's six-week abortion ban. Legal scholars argue that the ordinances may violate constitutional protections, including the right to interstate travel. Planned Parenthood and its affiliates in Texas are also facing a lawsuit accusing them of defrauding the Medicaid program.