Hawaii won't cooperate with states prosecuting for abortions

David Ige signed an executive order Tuesday that will prevent other states from punishing their residents who get abortions in the islands.

Women who receive abortions in Hawaii will not be prosecuted by other states. Ige said at the news conference that they wouldn't cooperate with any other state that tries to sanction medical professionals who provide abortions in Hawaii.

Ige is the latest governor to take a stand against the policies of conservative states. Wade which had guaranteed a federal right to abortion for nearly 50 years.

Immediately, Ige's order took effect.

Hawaii has a law that allows abortion until the fetus is viable. It is legal if a patient is in danger. In 1970, the state legalized abortion at a woman's request.

Hawaii officials don't think many people will travel to the islands to get abortions because of the cost and distance from the U.S.

According to Dr. Reni Soon, she has already provided abortions to people in Texas, Georgia and Louisiana.

Hawaii has a lot of tourists. College students and military personnel who live in other states while in Hawaii could be protected by the order.

Linda Ichiyama is concerned about the actions of other states regarding doctors and nurses who are licensed in multiple states. Hawaii medical professionals could lose their ability to practice in the islands because of this.

This could have a chilling effect on abortion care in Hawaii.

In-state and out-of-state patients will be protected by this.

Ige's order requires the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to work with professional licensure boards to make sure that no one loses their license for providing reproductive health care if the services provided were lawful and consistent with standards for good professional practice.

Executive agencies and departments are not allowed to give medical records, billing and other data to other states in relation to reproductive health services in Hawaii. Ige said Hawaii wouldn't give information about people who help with abortions.

The governors of Colorado and North Carolina issued executive orders to protect abortion providers and patients from being extradited to states that have banned the practice.

California's governor last month signed more than a dozen new abortion laws, including a measure that gives the state insurance commissioner the power to punish health insurance companies that give out information about abortions.