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WASHINGTON, Jul 26, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- An abortion bill that would illegalize the transportation of a minor over state lines to skirt parental notification laws has passed the U.S. Senate.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., passed 65-34 in the Senate, with 14 Democrats supporting the legislation and four Republicans voting against it, The Washington Times reported Wednesday.
"This bill goes a long way in strengthening the effectiveness of state laws designed to protect parents and their young daughters from the health and safety risks associated with secret abortions," Ensign said.
However, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., blasted the bill as "unconstitutional," and said it fails to make exceptions for rape or incest. Boxer sponsored an amendment that passed 98-0 applying the law to fathers who rape their daughters and then take them out of state for an abortion.
Violators could be sentenced to a year in prison, The Washington Post reported.
The legislation, which followed a similar measure in the House of Representatives, is destined for House-Senate negotiations before being sent to U.S. President George Bush, who lauded the bill's passing, for his signature.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
