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In a 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Courton Friday voted to overturnthe 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that determined a person’s constitutional right to seek an abortion, a move that will make abortion illegal in nearly all cases in13 states, including Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.
The decision follows a report in early May in Politico signaling the court was poised to reverse the ruling through a leaked draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito. In addition to Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court also overturned Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a 1992 case about restrictions placed on abortion access.
“The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives,” the justices in the majority wrote.
Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor wrote the dissent in the case.
“With sorrow—for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent,” it began.
Idaho governor: We must now come together to support pregnant women and teens
Idaho passed its trigger law in 2020, and it will take effect in 30 days, making abortion a felony. The law only makes exceptions for rape, incest and to save the pregnant person’s life. A rape or incest victim would have to provide a copy of a police report to the physician who would perform the procedure, a process which can sometimes take weeks.
In a statement, Idaho Gov. Brad Little said he joined many in Idaho and across the country in welcoming the court’s long-awaited decision that he said upholds state sovereignty and protects lives.
“This is now clear — the ‘right’ to an abortion was a judicial creation. Abortion is not a right expressed in the U.S. Constitution, and abortion will be entrusted to the states and their people to regulate,” Little wrote. “However, we fully acknowledge this monumental moment in our country’s history means we must confront what now will be growing needs for women and families in the months and years ahead. We absolutely must come together like never before to support women and teens facing unexpected or unwanted pregnancies. Families, churches, charities, and local and state government must stand ready to lift them up and help them and their families with access to adoption services, health care, financial and food assistance, counseling and treatment and family planning. We are being called to support women and our fellow community members in extraordinary new ways, and I’m confident Idahoans are ready to meet this responsibility with love and compassion.”
The Idaho Democratic Party released a statement saying Idahoans can no longer rely on the courts to protect their rights, and that Idaho Democrats will continue to fight for reproductive rights.
“Today’s decision will have especially dangerous consequences for the women and girls living in states like Idaho,” said state Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, in a statement released by the Idaho Democratic Party. “The only thing standing between them and forced pregnancy and birth — even in the case of rape and (incest) — was the constitutional protections of Roe v. Wade. Now that’s gone.”
Sen. Jim Risch
In an emailed statement, U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said the court wrongly determined a woman’s right to an abortion in 1973, and today’s decision is a step to “right that wrong.”
“The court’s decision recognizes that states have an interest in protecting life at all stages of development by giving Americans the power to decide this matter at the state level through their elected representatives,” he said.
In an emailed statement, Planned Parenthood said the consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision will fall largely on people who already face the greatest barriers to health care, including Black, Latino and Indigenous communities, people with low incomes, gay and transgender people and people who live in rural areas.
“Make no mistake — this decision goes beyond abortion. This is about who has power over you, who has the authority to make decisions for you, and who can control your future,” said Jennifer M. Allen, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates CEO. “This is a dark day for our country, but our fight is far from over. The people of Idaho should know that Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates will always fight for you, and we will not back down. Generations before us have fought tirelessly to gain and protect our rights. Now it’s our turn to pick up the mantle.”
What will happen with the state abortion law currently before the Idaho Supreme Court?
After the draft opinion was published, leaders of Planned Parenthood in Oregon said their clinics are prepared for an influx of patients from Idaho. The organization, which is closing its clinic in Boise, is also opening a clinic in Ontario, which is about an hour away from Boise. That decision was announced shortly after Idaho passed a bill effectively banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.
That bill, Senate Bill 1309, passed the Idaho Legislature in March, and Little signed it into law. Modeled after a similar law in Texas, the bill allows civil lawsuits to be filed against medical professionals who perform abortions after cardiac activity is detected. Little wrote in a letter accompanying his signature on the bill that he was concerned by the lawsuit mechanism, particularly since it seemed to provide monetary incentive to perpetrators of sexual assault crimes. The law awards no less than $20,000 to the mother, father, grandparents, siblings, aunt or uncle of the fetus or embryo, in a successful lawsuit.
The Idaho Supreme Court paused implementation of the law after Planned Parenthood challenged its constitutionality. The court scheduled a date of Aug. 3 to hear oral arguments in the case.
Blaine Conzatti, director of the Idaho Family Policy Center, helped push Senate Bill 1309 through the Legislature and said the ruling makes him more confident in its legal footing moving forward. He’s also confident that if Idaho’s trigger law is challenged in court, it will survive.
“We’re overjoyed that the (U.S.) Supreme Court has corrected decades of injustice in how our legal system treats pre-born babies,” Conzatti told the Capital Sun on Friday. “We are going to use every legal avenue we can to ensure that in the state of Idaho’s pre-born babies have the same constitutional protections as every other person. … The work is not yet done.”
Lisa Humes-Schulz, vice president of policy and regulatory affairs for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said in an email that the organization won’t drop the lawsuit even with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling because the challenge is built on a right to privacy as outlined in Idaho’s Constitution, not Roe v. Wade.
“We will continue to do everything we can to ensure Idahoans can access the care they need through the challenge to (Senate Bill) 1309,” Humes-Schulz said. “We are looking forward to our day in court in August.”
Planned Parenthood representative: "We’ll provide abortions in Idaho as long as legally possible"
Planned Parenthood Greater Northwest spokesperson Katie Rodihan said the organization plans to provide abortion care for as long as legally possible in Idaho with Roe v. Wade overturned, which will be 30 days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
In the meantime, Planned Parenthood clinics in Meridian and Twin Falls have increased the number of available appointments and are trying to find ways to fit patients in the schedule wherever possible.
Compared to the months of April, May and June of 2021, Rodihan said the clinics in Idaho have experienced a 40% increase in demand for abortion services. Appointments can generally be scheduled within a week of a call to the clinics.
“I think it’s people who are trying to get in and get care as quickly as they possibly can,” Rodihan said. “Some folks may otherwise take time to make their decision, but now they know there’s not going to be flexibility in the future.”
The clinics have not seen a significant increase in demand for contraception, including long-term contraceptives such as intrauterine devices — better known as IUDs — but Rodihan said they are recommending individuals stock up on emergency contraception, such as Plan B, which is available at Planned Parenthood clinics. Plan B has a shelf life of up to four years.
However, emergency contraception pills decrease in effectiveness for women who are over a certain weight, Rodihan said. In those scenarios, an IUD or birth control pills would be recommended.
Planned Parenthood recently closed its Boise clinic to consolidate resources in anticipation of the ruling to allow cost savings for telemedicine and other services, according to Rodihan.
“We’re going to need to increase things like telemedicine and also invest in our patient navigators so that we can both create more room for out-of-state patients in our protective states like Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, and also help patients in restricted states find their way to care,” Rodihan said.
That doesn’t mean the clinic in Boise will be closed permanently, she added. And another clinic in Ontario, Oregon, is scheduled to open in the coming months.
For the clinics in Idaho, the ruling won’t change the other 90% of care that Planned Parenthood provides to patients, Rodihan said, including pregnancy and STD testing, routine health care for women and men and hormone therapy.
“We’re fully committed to having a continued presence in Idaho,” she said.
Idaho Capital Sun editor-in-chief Christina Lords contributed to this story.
Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com. Follow Idaho Capital Sun on Facebook and Twitter.
So much for privacy. Im so effing glad our representatives know all about my life & say they have the right to monitor & manage whatever clump of cells has taken up residence in my very own uterus. Yeah, they all have their MD licenses now. They know my body WAY BETTER than my very own doctor. Heaven forbid i miscarry again because the procedure is the same. Id have to get infected & die because that clump of cells in me is worth more than i do. Worth it to WHO?
So let me get this straight. A woman has sex with my son resulting in an unwanted pregnancy, and all she has to do to obtain an abortion in Idaho is accuse my son of rape? Or would he need to be arrested, convicted etc which can take months? OR would he be deprived of due process so that a speedy conclusion could be reached in order to avoid the abortion being late term? These dudes really thought this out, didn't they?
Doesn't it seem like the height of narcissism for people (like the dem talking points bombarding us now) to say that abortion should be a choice made ONLY by a woman. It seems we do have a more narcissistic society these days, but this mindless word repetition of "a woman's right" needs to stop so that we can get to a deeper Higher Truth away from narcissism.
The definition of abortion is "the ending of Life" What 'life?' Abortion is not ending the woman's life. Abortion is therefore ending a completely genetically different human life. Otherwise abortion would be defined as an amputation.
So why do all these dem politicians describe abortion in terms of a woman's sole right to end life with no consideration as to the unborn baby's right to remain alive? Why don't they even acknowledge there is a completely separate being involved in that abortion decision? We don't allow women the sole authority to end their infant's life. What about people who are on life support? Wouldn't an unborn child have even more rights than people in a coma because these babies actually CAN exist in many cases without artificial life support once they are out of the womb?
Perhaps this Supreme Court decision is a blessing that will allow our society to evolve with a more mature consideration of the meaning and responsibility of all life. Let's embrace this time and opportunity together.
I doubt there are many real zealots in this comment section. Maybe. But the majority of us seem to reasonably care about people, about women and babies both. If we keep letting the media, politicians and special interest groups jerk our chains, then we will continue to play into their hands and be used for profit.
Take a step back and think about abortion for a moment and start at the beginning. Many women don't know they are pregnant for a couple of weeks. There can also be issues of rape and incest involved in conception. At this point in our civilization, our society should be able to focus on support, problem solving, education and legal protection for these situations. It is reasonable to support abortion for women in this First Trimester. At this point in time, the human life inside cannot live outside a woman's body.
At some point during the pregnancy, the unborn baby can survive outside the mother's body. Clear as day this means there is not ONLY the mother's life and desires to consider. There is another human being. This human being too has rights. Just because children can't advocate for themselves, their rights are still protected, even above parents' actions. So "My Body, My Choice" is a lie. Some women may not be happy that their bodies carry another genetically separate human being inside them, but that little unborn baby has never been or ever will be "My Body," no matter how many posters they carry. This fact of women's bodies and existence needs recognition instead of lies.
Late Trimester abortions should be illegal, unless to protect the life of the mother. Even if a late term abortion is necessary, it is a tragic and horrific procedure that should be avoided at all costs. When I have written about this before, pro-abortion commenters have tried to convince people that there is no such thing. It does exist. Get informed. If you keep arguing against a known reality, then you take yourself out of any legitimate conversation. The awful way doctors get around the controversy of killing an unborn infant is that as long as the baby's heart is stopped before the Partial Birth Abortion is performed, this procedure is legal in some states and exists in current practice.
It is right and proper that the Supreme Ct is following our Constitution and not creating law. It is the jobs of Congress and States to write law. It is the jobs of our elected officials to represent our choices. We need to do the thinking for ourselves. Not the other way around. Consider the big picture folks and have confidence (faith) that people engaged in this debate have goodness in their hearts.
"So "My Body, My Choice" is a lie" what are you a communist, what country do you live in. Such a fool! "people engaged in this debate have goodness in their hearts." No they don't, they have religious authoritarianism at heart, it's unamerican you idiot.
Forced birth in a country with: —No universal healthcare —No universal childcare —No paid family & medical leave —One of the highest rates of maternal mortality among rich nations This isn't about "life." It's about control. RR
The US is already in the basement in regards to maternal morbidity and mortality among wealthy countries. Public health estimates that with the impact of today’s SCOTUS ruling, numbers will increase 5-10% over the next year and as much as 20% in years thereafter.
I"ve voted mostly red my whole life, b/c I took RoevWade for granted as established law, as the recently confirmed supreme court justices all stated it was. (yup they lied). I will never vote for anyone at any level, President, mayor, sheriff or dog catcher unless they are publicly pro -choice. The economy and our foreign policy be damned.
What a little puppet you are. Of all the things happening to our country, you in your ignorance think that Roe v Wade is the most important problem. You could care less about all the children being sex trafficked across Biden's open borders by the cartels, or all the children being killed because of the dems' Defund the Police, or the Biden admin withholding school lunch funding in order to force boys in girls lockerrooms. You think that the abortion issue is more important than the economic destruction being wrought upon American families who actually have to try to feed their children. You are pathetic. Thank God your vote will do no more damage to our country as you have chosen to live in a Red State. Go move to a Blue State like back to California where you and your girlfriends can get abortions to your hearts' content.
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
A freedom that has been woven into the American culture and reinforces the right of women as equal citizens is Established law. If we don't have established law, what do we have, the tyranny of a religious minority and their bigotry.
"When... at what point shall a human be afforded due process and equal protection" When a women decides for herself, not when religious bigots decide for them.
People of all religions should mind their own business and not force their doctrines on others. We really don't care what they think or subscribe to their authoritarian beliefs. Treating women like cattle is offensive to most Americans, except of course the religious right.
I think it's pretty simple when a human should be afforded due process and equal protection: it's when they can survive independently of their biological mother's body. (Although technology keeps shortening that time period.) Before that, the belief that it's a human life is simply a belief that not everyone shares, and one group of people should not be able to impose that belief on others, in my view. Conservatives love to scream about "late term abortions", but my understanding is those are very rare, and reserved for situations where the infant is unviable or a serious danger to the mother. Seems that's more of a medical ethics question than a legal one.
3 supreme court justice lied, they flat out lied, to the Senate and to the American people on national TV, this is indisputable. This is who the neo conservatives are they will lie, cheat and steal their way to power. Keeping women as 2nd class citizens is what these religious bigots do.
"Women?!" Your Justice can't even define a "Woman." And "2nd class citizens?!" Your president is overturning Title IX by saying men can compete in women's sports and use girls' lockerrooms, parading around with their danglies.
Maybe now, instead of all these decades of endless political posturing where both parties have used women and unborn babies to raise money to keep the fight going, we can FINALLY start having some real discussion and consideration. Idaho's complete ban is not realistic as there are viable options like Plan B. And Thank God we haven't gone the route of Colorado where Partial Birth/Late Term Abortions are legal. It's finally time to deliberate new laws because a new reality is here.
Also, as a side comment, how hypocritical is the demented dem leader, Biden, in making the statement that he supports women at the same time he is gutting Title IX that protects women and girls. Stop letting these hypocritical politicians yank your chains. Start thinking for yourselves.
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So much for privacy. Im so effing glad our representatives know all about my life & say they have the right to monitor & manage whatever clump of cells has taken up residence in my very own uterus. Yeah, they all have their MD licenses now. They know my body WAY BETTER than my very own doctor. Heaven forbid i miscarry again because the procedure is the same. Id have to get infected & die because that clump of cells in me is worth more than i do. Worth it to WHO?
So let me get this straight. A woman has sex with my son resulting in an unwanted pregnancy, and all she has to do to obtain an abortion in Idaho is accuse my son of rape? Or would he need to be arrested, convicted etc which can take months? OR would he be deprived of due process so that a speedy conclusion could be reached in order to avoid the abortion being late term? These dudes really thought this out, didn't they?
And here are more questions.
Doesn't it seem like the height of narcissism for people (like the dem talking points bombarding us now) to say that abortion should be a choice made ONLY by a woman. It seems we do have a more narcissistic society these days, but this mindless word repetition of "a woman's right" needs to stop so that we can get to a deeper Higher Truth away from narcissism.
The definition of abortion is "the ending of Life" What 'life?' Abortion is not ending the woman's life. Abortion is therefore ending a completely genetically different human life. Otherwise abortion would be defined as an amputation.
So why do all these dem politicians describe abortion in terms of a woman's sole right to end life with no consideration as to the unborn baby's right to remain alive? Why don't they even acknowledge there is a completely separate being involved in that abortion decision? We don't allow women the sole authority to end their infant's life. What about people who are on life support? Wouldn't an unborn child have even more rights than people in a coma because these babies actually CAN exist in many cases without artificial life support once they are out of the womb?
Perhaps this Supreme Court decision is a blessing that will allow our society to evolve with a more mature consideration of the meaning and responsibility of all life. Let's embrace this time and opportunity together.
"but this mindless word repetition of "a woman's right" needs to stop " You are a mindless fool and we will bury you at the ballot box.
abortion...termination of a human pregnancy.
Whoever raised you should be thoroughly embarrassed.
I doubt there are many real zealots in this comment section. Maybe. But the majority of us seem to reasonably care about people, about women and babies both. If we keep letting the media, politicians and special interest groups jerk our chains, then we will continue to play into their hands and be used for profit.
Take a step back and think about abortion for a moment and start at the beginning. Many women don't know they are pregnant for a couple of weeks. There can also be issues of rape and incest involved in conception. At this point in our civilization, our society should be able to focus on support, problem solving, education and legal protection for these situations. It is reasonable to support abortion for women in this First Trimester. At this point in time, the human life inside cannot live outside a woman's body.
At some point during the pregnancy, the unborn baby can survive outside the mother's body. Clear as day this means there is not ONLY the mother's life and desires to consider. There is another human being. This human being too has rights. Just because children can't advocate for themselves, their rights are still protected, even above parents' actions. So "My Body, My Choice" is a lie. Some women may not be happy that their bodies carry another genetically separate human being inside them, but that little unborn baby has never been or ever will be "My Body," no matter how many posters they carry. This fact of women's bodies and existence needs recognition instead of lies.
Late Trimester abortions should be illegal, unless to protect the life of the mother. Even if a late term abortion is necessary, it is a tragic and horrific procedure that should be avoided at all costs. When I have written about this before, pro-abortion commenters have tried to convince people that there is no such thing. It does exist. Get informed. If you keep arguing against a known reality, then you take yourself out of any legitimate conversation. The awful way doctors get around the controversy of killing an unborn infant is that as long as the baby's heart is stopped before the Partial Birth Abortion is performed, this procedure is legal in some states and exists in current practice.
It is right and proper that the Supreme Ct is following our Constitution and not creating law. It is the jobs of Congress and States to write law. It is the jobs of our elected officials to represent our choices. We need to do the thinking for ourselves. Not the other way around. Consider the big picture folks and have confidence (faith) that people engaged in this debate have goodness in their hearts.
"So "My Body, My Choice" is a lie" what are you a communist, what country do you live in. Such a fool! "people engaged in this debate have goodness in their hearts." No they don't, they have religious authoritarianism at heart, it's unamerican you idiot.
So paraphrasing your above gibberish, you are pro Roe
After the Dobbs ruling,
Q: Will there be any women that commit suicide because they are unable to have an abortion?
A: Yes
Q: Will any women be murdered by their husband/boyfriend/rapist because they are unable to have an abortion?
A: Yes
Forced birth in a country with: —No universal healthcare —No universal childcare —No paid family & medical leave —One of the highest rates of maternal mortality among rich nations This isn't about "life." It's about control. RR
The US is already in the basement in regards to maternal morbidity and mortality among wealthy countries. Public health estimates that with the impact of today’s SCOTUS ruling, numbers will increase 5-10% over the next year and as much as 20% in years thereafter.
I"ve voted mostly red my whole life, b/c I took RoevWade for granted as established law, as the recently confirmed supreme court justices all stated it was. (yup they lied). I will never vote for anyone at any level, President, mayor, sheriff or dog catcher unless they are publicly pro -choice. The economy and our foreign policy be damned.
I thank you and hope there are many more like you.
What a little puppet you are. Of all the things happening to our country, you in your ignorance think that Roe v Wade is the most important problem. You could care less about all the children being sex trafficked across Biden's open borders by the cartels, or all the children being killed because of the dems' Defund the Police, or the Biden admin withholding school lunch funding in order to force boys in girls lockerrooms. You think that the abortion issue is more important than the economic destruction being wrought upon American families who actually have to try to feed their children. You are pathetic. Thank God your vote will do no more damage to our country as you have chosen to live in a Red State. Go move to a Blue State like back to California where you and your girlfriends can get abortions to your hearts' content.
Established law is not necessarily constitutional law... which the court simply confirmed.
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
A freedom that has been woven into the American culture and reinforces the right of women as equal citizens is Established law. If we don't have established law, what do we have, the tyranny of a religious minority and their bigotry.
And that's the 14th amendment.
When... at what point shall a human be afforded due process and equal protection?
"When... at what point shall a human be afforded due process and equal protection" When a women decides for herself, not when religious bigots decide for them.
People of all religions should mind their own business and not force their doctrines on others. We really don't care what they think or subscribe to their authoritarian beliefs. Treating women like cattle is offensive to most Americans, except of course the religious right.
I think it's pretty simple when a human should be afforded due process and equal protection: it's when they can survive independently of their biological mother's body. (Although technology keeps shortening that time period.) Before that, the belief that it's a human life is simply a belief that not everyone shares, and one group of people should not be able to impose that belief on others, in my view. Conservatives love to scream about "late term abortions", but my understanding is those are very rare, and reserved for situations where the infant is unviable or a serious danger to the mother. Seems that's more of a medical ethics question than a legal one.
So I guess the Republican Party would rather kill children once they are out of the womb.
3 supreme court justice lied, they flat out lied, to the Senate and to the American people on national TV, this is indisputable. This is who the neo conservatives are they will lie, cheat and steal their way to power. Keeping women as 2nd class citizens is what these religious bigots do.
"Women?!" Your Justice can't even define a "Woman." And "2nd class citizens?!" Your president is overturning Title IX by saying men can compete in women's sports and use girls' lockerrooms, parading around with their danglies.
Shut up!!!!!
I’ll help you, troll. A woman is the human manifestation of the silicone doll you inflate on the weekend.
Maybe now, instead of all these decades of endless political posturing where both parties have used women and unborn babies to raise money to keep the fight going, we can FINALLY start having some real discussion and consideration. Idaho's complete ban is not realistic as there are viable options like Plan B. And Thank God we haven't gone the route of Colorado where Partial Birth/Late Term Abortions are legal. It's finally time to deliberate new laws because a new reality is here.
Also, as a side comment, how hypocritical is the demented dem leader, Biden, in making the statement that he supports women at the same time he is gutting Title IX that protects women and girls. Stop letting these hypocritical politicians yank your chains. Start thinking for yourselves.
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