Idaho, which already has a near-total ban on abortion, is now trying to restrict interstate travel for abortion (giving it the scary-sounding name “abortion trafficking”). They’re getting their foot in the door with a bill making it a felony to transport a minor for an abortion without parental permission. It’ already passed the state House, and is likely to pass the Senate and be signed by rabidly anti-abortion Gov. Brad Little.
The bill is being sold as a “parents’ rights” issue, but once this gets extablished as a precedent, watch the goalposts move. I think it’s useful to look at how the same far-right Republicans have attacked gender-affirming care for transgender people. First it’s no care for minors without parental permission (not even using their preferred pronouns at school), then it’s no care for minors at all, and then they move the goalpost to adults. We all see where this is headed.
Idaho legislators also refused to add an exception to its abortion ban for “life-threatening conditions”— because there are too many of those. Yes, really. And yes, of course Idaho also declined to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage.
As always, this diary is a group effort. Thanks to Angmar, mettle fatigue, SandraLLAP, and the WOW crew for links and discussion.