Local governments that refuse to comply with Idaho’s criminal abortion laws would no longer receive a cut of the state’s sales tax revenue under a new bill introduced Wednesday morning.
It also amends a law passed in 2021, making it a felony for any public official to contract with abortion providers – even for services not related to abortions.
Abortions in Idaho are only legal when they’re performed in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is threatened by a pregnancy.
Cities and counties declaring themselves to be so-called abortion sanctuary cities “…moves us philosophically in the direction of anarchy…” said Rep. Bruce Skaug (R-Nampa), who sponsors the bill.
Idaho distributes quarterly a portion of the billions of dollars it collects from the state’s 6% sales tax to local governments based on their populations. That adds up to about $24 million for the city of Boise, or about 8% of its projected revenue in its current budget.
Boise City Council passed a resolution last July refusing to prioritize or fund investigations into criminal abortions, putting that money in jeopardy if Skaug’s bill passes.
Maria Weeg, a city spokesperson, said in a statement that it's early in the legislative process. "We’ll continue to monitor potential legislation that may impact our community and advocate for the health, safety and prosperity of our residents," Weeg said.
The U.S. Supreme Court last summer overturned Roe v. Wade, giving states the ultimate power to decide how they want to regulate the procedure.
A recent 3-2 decision by the state supreme court upheld the legislature’s criminal abortion law passed in 2020, though a federal lawsuit challenging the same statute is ongoing.
Given that unsettled legal landscape, Rep. John Gannon (D-Boise) said Skaug should push pause on his bill.
“Until everything is clarified, I don’t think it’s appropriate to start putting people in prison,” Gannon said.
Another portion of the bill clarifies that the 2021 law does not prohibit classroom discussions about abortions in K-12 schools, colleges or universities.
The legislation needs a public hearing before it could go to the full House for consideration.
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