Editorial: Idaho Republican legislators wouldn't fix abortion law. It's up to the Supreme Court

“You’re hedging,” she said. “I mean, Justice Sotomayor is asking you would this be covered or not? And it was my understanding that the (Idaho) Legislature’s witnesses said that these would be covered.”

“Yeah, those doctors said if they were exercising their medical judgment, they could in good faith determine that life-saving care was necessary,” Turner responded. “And that’s my point is it’s a subjective — .”

“But some doctors couldn’t,” Barrett interrupted again. “Some doctors might reach a contrary conclusion, I think is what Justice Sotomayor is asking you.”

It’s worth noting that the lawyer representing the federal government, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, is a Boise High graduate and is doing a phenomenal job.

Barrett’s line of questioning touched on the nonsense we’ve been hearing the past few months from Idaho’s Republican legislators, who have been cavalierly dismissing concerns about Idaho’s abortion laws. They’ve been claiming that Idaho’s laws don’t prevent doctors from providing care meant to preserve a patient’s health.

But we’ve been hearing horror stories of women having to carry nonviable fetuses, or continue pregnancy even if it means long-term health effects and eliminating the ability to become pregnant ever again.

As the Idaho Statesman’s Nicole Blanchard reported Monday, St. Luke’s hospital has transported six patients out of state this year for pregnancy complications, and the Idaho Capital Sun reported they were airlifted out of state. Some Idaho doctors are advising pregnant patients to carry insurance for air ambulance transports, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Think about that. Idaho has to airlift at-risk patients out of state to provide medical care, as if the state were some sort of war zone in an undeveloped country.

Imagine being an expectant mother having to endure the pain and suffering of having a nonviable pregnancy, and then having to be flown by helicopter to another state just to get the medical care you desperately need.

Doctors are fleeing the state because Idaho’s laws interfere with their ability to provide necessary medical care to their patients, and hospitals say they are having trouble recruiting doctors because of Idaho’s abortion ban.

...continued

swipe to next page