In a blow to reproductive rights, a federal appeals court has ruled that Idaho can enforce its abortion travel ban, blocking people who need an abortion from seeking the procedure in other states where abortion is legal. The law makes so-called abortion trafficking a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and prohibits Idaho residents from transporting a minor who needs an abortion across state lines where the procedure is legal, such as Idaho’s neighboring states of Oregon, Washington and Montana. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals only struck down a portion of the law, which would have prohibited providers from talking to pregnant teens about their reproductive healthcare options, saying it violated First Amendment rights. 

In related news, Arizona providers will be allowed to perform abortions past 15 weeks of pregnancy while a new lawsuit seeking to overturn the state’s abortion ban plays out in court. The suit was filed by reproductive care advocates who argue the ban is now unconstitutional after Arizona voters earlier this month overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure enshrining abortion rights in the state’s constitution.