Commentary

Every Democrat in the Idaho Legislature signed onto a bill (HB721) this past week to repeal our Defense of Life Act.  It is clear from their news conference that they will follow their national leaders and make abortion the central feature of their campaigns this year.  Forget fentanyl or the illegal immigrant invasion.  Don’t worry about inflation or declining performance of our public school system.  In their world, Abortion is the most important issue facing Idaho and the nation.

At the news conference, Democrats sought to conflate the issues of IVF (in vitro fertilization) and their unrestrained commitment to abortion.  They also sought to disguise their radical agenda by claiming that they sought a “health” exception to Idaho’s law protecting preborn children.  Ostensibly this is necessary to keep some Idaho doctors happy about practicing in Idaho. 

But their proposed legislation goes well beyond weakening the Defense of Life Act.  (In fact, HB721 never actually mentions a “health” exception). 

Idaho Democrats want to make abortion legal at ALL stages of pregnancy.  And for ANY reason.  The only restriction on abortion they would leave in place is the Ban on Partial Birth Abortions – enacted by the Idaho Legislature in 1998.  Late term abortions through the end of pregnancy?  No problem.

Democrats seek to put Planned Parenthood back into business in Idaho.  Not only would they resume abortion-on-demand, their legislation allows their patrons at Planned Parenthood back into our schools:  Democrats want to repeal the No Public Funds for Abortions Act.  Teachers and counselors would again be free to encourage students to get abortions at their local Planned Parenthood office.  Planned Parenthood officials would again be welcome into classrooms to troll for new customers.  (In fact, every Democrat in the Legislature voted against our bill this session to prohibit abortion providers from teaching sex ed courses in public school classrooms).

But even that is not enough for these radicals.  The Democrat legislation would also repeal the Abortion Trafficking Law enacted by the Legislature last year (IC 18-623).  This critical protection makes it a felony to transport a minor girl across state lines to obtain an abortion without parental knowledge or consent.  Imagine.  Idaho Democrats want to enable third parties – like their patrons at Planned Parenthood or any other adult for that matter, including abusers and sex traffickers – to ingratiate themselves into the lives of Idaho children behind the back of parents.  These dark actors would be able to help children obtain abortions without parental knowledge, potentially to conceal criminal sexual abuse: Pay for travel, hotel rooms, meals … and the abortion procedure itself.

It is clear that Idaho Democrats subscribe to the dangerous belief that children have a right to something they call “bodily autonomy” – and that any interested adult should be free to manipulate vulnerable children into making life-altering decisions.

Thankfully HB721 will go nowhere this session.  But the Democrats have boldly proclaimed their dark vision for Idaho’s future. 

Voters beware.