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New executive order protects those gaining access to or performing abortions in Hawaii

Hawaii Abortion
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Hawaii Gov. David Ige announced Tuesday that he signed an executive order to protect those obtaining access to or performing reproductive health care services on the island.

Ige said those traveling to the Pacific island to receive an abortion would be safe from prosecution if other states decided to go after them.

He added that medical professionals that perform the procedure in the state would also be protected if other states tried to sanction them.

"We will not cooperate with any other state that tries to prosecute women who receive abortions in Hawaii. And we will not cooperate with any other state that tries to sanction medical professionals who provide abortions in Hawaii," Ige said in a news release.

Hawaii is the latest state to issue an executive order that protects those seeking abortions and health care providers, USA Today reported.

Those states include Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

The move to protect abortion rights comes after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June which federally protected the right to get an abortion for nearly 50 years, the Associated Press reported.

Hawaii's executive order takes effect immediately.

Ige added that medical records, data, or billing information will not be provided to states "seeking to impose penalties upon a person or entity related to reproductive health services in Hawaii."

Hawaii became the first state in the nation when it legalized abortion on March 11, 1970.

According to the state's constitution, people's right to privacy and personal autonomy is guaranteed.