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Idaho sued over law banning adults from helping minors get abortions
Idaho sued over law banning adults from helping minors get abortionsAbortion rights advocates sued the Idaho government on Tuesday, claiming a state law that prohibits adults from helping minors get an abortion is unconstitutional.
Idaho has one of the strictest abortion bans in the nation, forcing patients to seek care in neighboring states such as Oregon and Washington, where the procedure is legal. But in April, Idaho lawmakers passed legislation requiring any person under 18 to get permission from a parent or guardian before traveling out of state to get an abortion. The controversial law marks the first major push since the fall of Roe v Wade in 2022 to explicitly block people from traveling across state lines to access abortion.
“It is a new level of government intrusion on what it means to be an American,” said Wendy Heipt, a lawyer at Legal Voice, an advocacy group representing the plaintiffs challenging the Idaho statute.
The new lawsuit said the Idaho statute violates multiple constitutional protections, including the right to free speech, due process, and the ability to travel between states. Under the law, anyone who helps a minor get an abortion could be sentenced to two or five years in prison, but adults are also prohibited from “recruiting” a pregnant minor, a term that reproductive justice advocates in the state said is confusing and vague.
“Does ‘recruit’ mean handing someone a brochure? Does that mean a conversation about options?” said Heipt. “It is incredibly hard for the average person to know what they can and can’t legally do under this law.”
Lourdes Matsumoto, the only individual plaintiff on the case, is an Idaho attorney who works with survivors of domestic and sexual violence, many of whom are minors.
Idaho has one of the strictest abortion bans in the nation, forcing patients to seek care in neighboring states such as Oregon and Washington, where the procedure is legal. But in April, Idaho lawmakers passed legislation requiring any person under 18 to get permission from a parent or guardian before traveling out of state to get an abortion. The controversial law marks the first major push since the fall of Roe v Wade in 2022 to explicitly block people from traveling across state lines to access abortion.
“It is a new level of government intrusion on what it means to be an American,” said Wendy Heipt, a lawyer at Legal Voice, an advocacy group representing the plaintiffs challenging the Idaho statute.
The new lawsuit said the Idaho statute violates multiple constitutional protections, including the right to free speech, due process, and the ability to travel between states. Under the law, anyone who helps a minor get an abortion could be sentenced to two or five years in prison, but adults are also prohibited from “recruiting” a pregnant minor, a term that reproductive justice advocates in the state said is confusing and vague.
“Does ‘recruit’ mean handing someone a brochure? Does that mean a conversation about options?” said Heipt. “It is incredibly hard for the average person to know what they can and can’t legally do under this law.”
Lourdes Matsumoto, the only individual plaintiff on the case, is an Idaho attorney who works with survivors of domestic and sexual violence, many of whom are minors.