Bill to defund abortion providers passes House committee

BOISE (AP) — A panel of Idaho lawmakers has passed a bill that would halt all public funding to any entities that advise women about their abortion options.

The bill, sponsored by Nampa Rep. Bruce Skaug and 15 other Republican lawmakers, passed the House State Affairs Committee on a 10-4 vote Thursday despite opposition from those on both sides of the abortion debate.

The bill would bar all public funding to any entity — including schools, public health departments and other health care providers — if anyone associated with the entity provides an abortion, assists someone in getting an abortion, or even counsels a patient that abortion is an option they could seek out. It allows exceptions for hospitals, cases where the mother’s life is in danger and cases involving Medicaid transactions, which are governed by federal law.

During Thursday’s hearing on the bill, Skaug told committee members that he believed they would have to “answer in the afterlife” if they vote against the bill.

Read more: https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/bill-to-defund-abortion-providers-passes-house-committee/article_4464dd66-0ebf-5d4e-ad01-736ed6f445e0.html