While some abortion laws in Idaho are going into effect, others are still making their way through the courts.
A law making it illegal for an adult to help a minor get an abortion without their parent's consent went into effect on Friday after being signed into law by Gov. Brad Little in April. The so-called “abortion trafficking” law is the first of its kind in the country and makes it a crime to provide abortion pills to minors or to help them leave the state for abortion care.
Idaho currently bans abortions in all cases, with some exceptions for incest, rape and when the mother is at risk of dying.
Meantime, District Judge Lynn Winmill upheld an injunction last week that prevents prosecutors from charging doctors who provide abortions in emergency situations. Emergency room physicians follow federal mandates that call for the treatment of any patient until their medical crisis is resolved or stabilized.
In his decision, Winmill noted Idaho’s total abortion ban conflicts with those guidelines.
Finally, Winmill is expected to decide soon on a Planned Parenthood lawsuit against Attorney General Raul Labrador. The case hinges on a legal opinion written by the AG that states doctors could be criminally charged for referring patients to out-of-state abortion providers. The plaintiffs asked for an injunction, stating the legal opinion encroached on physicians’ first amendment rights.
