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Idaho Lawmaker Wants to Ban Teens From Getting Abortions in Other States Without Parental Consent
Idaho Lawmaker Wants to Ban Teens From Getting Abortions in Other States Without Parental Consenthttps://jezebel.com/idaho-teen-abortion-ban-parental-consent-trafficking-1850090818
Abortion is almost totally banned in Idaho except for cases of reported rape or incest, or doctors’ discretion to save the pregnant person’s life. But that apparently isn’t enough for state lawmakers, because on Tuesday they introduced a bill that would make it harder for young people to get abortions in other states.
State Rep. Barbara Ehardt (R) introduced House Bill 98, which would amend both the state’s abortion ban and its human trafficking code to make it illegal for anyone to help a pregnant person under 18 get an out-of-state abortion without the consent of a parent or legal guardian. The bill would also make it a crime for anyone to provide “abortion-inducing drugs” (aka abortion pills) to a pregnant minor in the state without parental consent. If it were to pass, this bill could mean sending people’s aunts, grandmothers, or trusted friends to prison for two to five years.
And finally, the bill would give Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador (R) the authority and “sole discretion” to prosecute people who violate either the state’s human trafficking or abortion law if a county prosecutor refuses to bring charges.
Laws mandating parental involvement in abortion are nothing new, but this bill is an escalation. Rebecca Gibron, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai‘i, Indiana, Kentucky, said in a statement that “preventing people—including minors—from accessing abortion is dangerous and irresponsible. I can’t think of anything more cruel than a state forcing a child to remain pregnant and punishing people who try to help them. Shame on these lawmakers. All Idahoans should be paying attention to this extreme attempt at government overreach to control our movements in and out of the state of Idaho.”
State Rep. Barbara Ehardt (R) introduced House Bill 98, which would amend both the state’s abortion ban and its human trafficking code to make it illegal for anyone to help a pregnant person under 18 get an out-of-state abortion without the consent of a parent or legal guardian. The bill would also make it a crime for anyone to provide “abortion-inducing drugs” (aka abortion pills) to a pregnant minor in the state without parental consent. If it were to pass, this bill could mean sending people’s aunts, grandmothers, or trusted friends to prison for two to five years.
And finally, the bill would give Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador (R) the authority and “sole discretion” to prosecute people who violate either the state’s human trafficking or abortion law if a county prosecutor refuses to bring charges.
Laws mandating parental involvement in abortion are nothing new, but this bill is an escalation. Rebecca Gibron, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai‘i, Indiana, Kentucky, said in a statement that “preventing people—including minors—from accessing abortion is dangerous and irresponsible. I can’t think of anything more cruel than a state forcing a child to remain pregnant and punishing people who try to help them. Shame on these lawmakers. All Idahoans should be paying attention to this extreme attempt at government overreach to control our movements in and out of the state of Idaho.”
Anti-choice lawmakers continue to demonstrate that their real concern is controlling people with uteruses, even to the extent of trying to control where they're allowed to travel.
