Planned Parenthood Reacts to Oral Arguments on Idaho Abortion Ban Lawsuits
For Immediate Release: Aug. 3, 2022
BOISE, ID — Just over one month ago, the U.S. Supreme Court defied 50 years of precedent and ruled that there was no federal constitutional right to abortion, triggering Idaho’s abortion bans. Today, the Idaho Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two key lawsuits presented by Planned Parenthood: one regarding a six-week ban with a Texas SB 8-style “sue thy neighbor” provision and one regarding a total ban on abortion in the state of Idaho.
Statement from Rebecca Gibron, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai’i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky:
“As Idahoans, we rely on our constitutional right to privacy – and we also rely on our health care providers’ ability to deliver high-quality care, without interference from politicians. If these abortion bans take effect, our patients would be unable to access critical care, with devastating, and potentially deadly, consequences. The narrow exceptions presented in these bans are vague and therefore are dangerous to patients across our state. We cannot allow these bans to stand.”
Additionally, following the announcement the Department of Justice would sue the state of Idaho, Gibron shared, “Abortion access in Idaho is at a crisis point and the consequences of losing access to critical care are no longer hypothetical. This move by the Department of Justice to sue the state of Idaho is an acknowledgment of the danger facing far too many people in our state. We will not give up this fight to ensure Idahoans have the critical health care they deserve, even as politicians elected to preserve and protect their rights have turned their backs on them.”
The Idaho Supreme Court did not make a final decision at the end of today’s arguments. The Court will convene before announcing its decision.