Bills Would Make Coercing a Woman to Have an Abortion a Crime

State lawmakers are considering bills to make coercing a woman into an abortion a crime.

The legislation would define coercion in cases of abortion and set up varying penalties depending on the severity of the crime.

But Shelli Weisberg of the American Civil Liberties Union says the bills don’t go far enough.

She says the definition in the legislation is vague and could criminalize when parents remove a daughter from their health insurance because they believe pregnancy should come inside a marriage.

But Genevieve Martin of Right to Life says it’s important to protect a woman from coercion wherever it may come.

The bills await action in a House committee.