IDAHO STATE CAPITOL – Today is a dark day in the history of our country. The Supreme Court has struck down Roe vs. Wade, meaning millions of women have lost their constitutionally protected right to abortion access. Women in Idaho are among those who have lost this fundamental right.
The misguided decision will not end abortions. One in four women will have an abortion in their lifetime and today’s decision is unlikely to alter that. Instead, it takes away access to safe abortion care from millions of American women. The ending of constitutional protections for abortion rights harms in particular low-income women who do not have the resources to flee their home state in search of safe abortion care.
“The Supreme Court just made millions of women second-class citizens,” said House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel. “In reversing 50 years of precedent, the Court has eviscerated the fundamental Constitutional right to privacy, opening the door to big government to police the intimate details of our personal lives. Unfortunately, Idaho’s GOP politicians have proven themselves eager to flex this power – in recent years pushing to tell Idahoans what medical care they can seek, who they can love and marry, what books their kids can read and more, and have already taken steps to force women through pregnancy and childbirth against their will as soon as Roe is overturned. Idahoans can count on Idaho Democrats to continue fighting to keep government out of their private lives, and the more seats we win, the more freedom we can deliver.”
Deaths from unsafe abortions have declined dramatically since Roe v. Wade was decided and expanded access to safe, legal abortion. Studies show states with the most draconaian laws against safe and legal abortion are also the states where women suffer from lower levels of education and higher levels of poverty. States with more abortion restrictions also have higher rates of maternal and infant mortality.
Idaho is one of those states. The Idaho Legislature has passed two trigger laws that outlaw access to abortion care while doing nothing to improve health care access or outcomes or to reduce the need for abortion. Within a few weeks, safe and legal abortion will no longer be available in this state.
“Today’s decision will have especially dangerous consequences for the women and girls living in states like Idaho,” Senator Mellissa Wintrow said. “The only thing standing between them and forced pregnancy and birth – even in the case of rape and inscest – was the constitutional protections of Roe v. Wade. Now that’s gone.”
Looking forward, state lawmakers have proposed and introduced legislation that would bring criminal penalties against women who seek an abortion. They will certainly bring similar bills in the next legislative session.
Idaho Democrats respect and understand that individuals may have personally held religious beliefs. But those religious beliefs should not be imposed on their fellow citizens. Idaho Democrats will zealously fight for fundamental constitutional rights and protections from governmental overreach such as this.
“The government has no business interfering in a personal medical decision between a woman and her doctor,” Rep. James Ruchti said. “No business. That’s not how we do things in Idaho.”