On Wednesday, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated $1 million to fight Proposition 1. If voters approve the initiative, it would restore reproductive rights in Idaho, allowing abortions up to fetal viability and in medical emergencies.
The “No” campaign is an interfaith coalition started by conservative christian Blaine Conzatti from the Idaho Family Policy Center, lobbyist for the Catholic Diocese of Boise Christian Welp and LDS representative Tom Luna.
Speaking Thursday on the Neal Larson radio show, Luna said despite doctrinal differences, the three religious organizers found common ground in the fight against Prop 1.
“The three of us thought, if anybody should unite to defeat Proposition 1, it should be the people of faith,” he said. “Let's go and engage with church leaders and church members of many faiths across the state and build this army.”
“When it comes to protecting life, when it comes to making sure Idaho is a strong family values state, we're all united in that and working together to defeat this,” Luna added, saying the money will go towards messaging on social media, radio, tv and streaming services.
Since the initiative was approved to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot, both sides of the issue have raised millions.
“I'm cautiously optimistic, but not to the point where you want to take your foot off the gas or pause for any moment. We should not get any sense of security,” Luna said.
An LDS church representative in Salt Lake City confirmed the donation.
“While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints remains neutral toward political candidates, it actively addresses ballot initiatives it believes carry significant moral consequences,” the LDS Church wrote in a statement.
