'Landmark' Pro-Life Bill Signed by Governor, Strips Planned Parenthood of Power
Idaho will now require that the facts regarding health complications caused by abortions be shared with the public.
On Thursday, Republican Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter signed into law state House Bill 638, which creates a new reporting system.
As of July 1, abortion providers must report a woman’s age, race, how many children she has, if any of those children have died and how many abortions she has had previously, according to Fox News.
“We believe this is landmark legislation because, in coming years, we will be able to learn how abortion affects women and girls in both the short-term and long-term,” pro-life group Idaho Chooses Life said in statement.
“For the first time we will not be dependent upon Planned Parenthood or the FDA to tell us what they want us to hear.”
“It is rather shocking to realize that, some 45 years into the Roe v. Wade era – virtually everything we think we know about abortion and its impact on women comes from the abortion industry. Not exactly an unbiased source,” the group said after the bill was passed by the state senate.
The state would publish the data annually, but withhold identifying information, The Associated Press reported.
In addition mandating that direct medical complications be reported to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare — including infection, blood clots and hemorrhaging — the state also requires providers to report whether women suffer from depression, anxiety and sleeping disorders.
State Rep. Greg Chaney, a Republican, said the bill was necessary because Idaho had no legislation requiring providers to share this information with the public.
“Idaho currently has no enforceable requirement that complications be reported, and the scant reporting that does occur is from abortion providers only; this is a challenge since many complications are treated by emergency room doctors or primary care doctors–and not the abortion providers,” read a statement on his website.
The bill’s text notes that, “Surgical abortion is an invasive procedure that can cause severe physical and psychological complications for women, both short-term and long-term.”
The legislation said that its purpose was “to promote the health and safety of women by adding to the sum of medical and public health knowledge through the compilation of relevant data on all abortions performed in the state, as well as on all medical complications and maternal deaths resulting from these abortions.”
The impact of the new law, and Otter’s efforts, were summarized by Idaho Chooses Life on its blog.
“It takes a lot of folks to make a victory like this possible. And it takes the Lord’s kindness and blessing, without whom we could do nothing,” the group said.
“There are many reasons to be joyful in thanksgiving over this victory. But here is an important one: The Governor has completed his time in office with a perfect pro-Life record. He has finished the race and will leave behind him a tremendous pro-Life legacy,” the group added.
“We predict his stellar pro-Life record will be his greatest, long-term contribution to the well being of Idaho and its citizens. There is no doubt that Butch Otter has helped save lives that would otherwise have been wasted through abortion – and that number will continue to increase long after he leaves office.”
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