On Monday, Idaho’s Republican governor, Brad Little, signed a bill into law defunding abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.
Public colleges and universities are also prohibited from supplying abortifacient drugs to end a pregnancy post-conception.
According to conservative activist group Family Policy Alliance of Idaho, these kinds of drugs are currently offered at Boise State University, the University of Idaho and Idaho State University through their student health centers.
The legislation, however, allows exceptions for publicly funded hospitals and abortions funded with Medicaid.
The bill’s signing was praised by Family Policy Alliance of Idaho Executive Director Blaine Conzatti.
“Defunding Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers was one of our top priorities when [the] legislative session began earlier this year,” Conzatti said in a statement emailed to The Christian Post.
“Idahoans don’t want their state or local governments sending their hard-earned money to abortion providers — and they certainly don’t want abortionists providing services and promoting abortion in our public schools and universities,” he continued.
Conzatti contended that abortion “should never be subsidized with our tax dollars” and “Idaho public school students should never learn about sexuality from the abortion industry.”
“The No Public Funds for Abortion Act protects students, vulnerable women, and hard-working taxpayers from the ‘Big Abortion’ lobby,” he explained. “We are excited that Gov. Brad Little signed this important pro-life reform that protects taxpayer assets from abortion providers who have benefitted from government largesse for too long.”
In March, the bill passed the state House of Representatives by a vote of 55-14, with three Republicans and 11 Democrats voting against the measure.
“The bill defunds abortion so your tax dollars and mine are not used directly or indirectly for any type of abortion or referral for such services,” Skaug said. “If I could stop Medicaid funds from going to abortion, I would.”
On the other hand, opponents of the legislation warned it would prevent many women from getting cancer screenings, birth control and additional health care because of abortion providers being shut down.
“Idaho is a state with healthcare shortages,” Democratic Rep. Chris Mathias said. “We don’t have enough primary care physicians. We don’t have enough nurses. We don’t have enough hospitals in the right places. We don’t have enough beds. We don’t have enough people with health insurance or enough health insurance to get them the adequate care that they need,” he asserted.
The bill also forbids the city of Boise from contracting with organizations that provide abortion-related services following a transitional report issued to Mayor Lauren McLean last year recommending that the city offer free contraception, abortion and reproductive healthcare to all of its residents. Christian Headline News
The following is from Pro Life Across America
- 18 days from conception, heart begins to beat, with the baby’s own blood.
- 28 days from conception a baby has eyes, ears, and even a tongue!
- 28 days from conception: Muscles are developing along the future spine. Arms and legs are budding.
- 30 days: Child has grown 10,000 times to 6-7mm (1/4”) long. Brain has human proportions. Blood flows in veins.
- 42 days: Skeleton is formed. Brain coordinates movement of muscles and organs. Reflex responses have begun.
- 42 days: Brain waves can be detected, the jaw forms, including teeth and taste buds. The unborn baby begins to swallow amniotic fluid. Fingers and toes are developing.
- 45 days from conception: The unborn baby is making body movements, a full 12 weeks before the mother may notice such stirrings. By seven weeks the chest and abdomen are fully formed. Swimming with a natural swimmer’s stroke in the amniotic fluid, the baby now looks like a miniature human infant.
- 44-45 days: Buds of milk teeth appear, and the unborn baby’s facial muscles develop. Eyelids begin to form, protecting the developing eyes. Elbows take shape. Internal organs are present, but immature. 99% of muscles are present, each with its own nerve supply.
- 52 Days: Spontaneous movement begins. The unborn baby then develops a whole collection of moves over the next 4 weeks including hiccuping, frowning, squinting, furrowing the brow, pursing the lips, moving individual arms and legs, head turning, touching his/her face, breathing (without air), stretching, opening the mouth, yawning and sucking. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Psalms 139:14-16
