[Originally published March 17, 2022—eds]
Reproductive rights advocates in Oregon had anticipated the day would come when the conservative politics of neighboring Idaho would criminalize abortion—forcing Idahoans to cross state lines to access basic healthcare. But that didn’t make the news of Idaho lawmakers passing a bill banning most abortions this week any easier to digest.
“It’s one of those moments when you’re so heartbroken that you called it correctly,” said Christel Allen, director of Pro-Choice Oregon, a reproductive healthcare advocacy organization. “And knowing you could play a role other than bystander to this trauma. Knowing that what started in Texas is spreading.”
On Monday, Idaho lawmakers sent a bill to the desk of Governor Brad Little that prohibits abortion after six weeks of pregnancy—a period of time before many people even know they’re pregnant. It’s the first state to adopt a copycat bill to the Texas law passed in September, which caps abortions at six weeks and allows any citizen to sue anyone who performs an abortion or “aids and abets” the procedure (a role that can include anyone from an Uber driver to a therapist). The Idaho bill, which Little is expected to sign into law, doesn’t go quite as far as its Texas predecessor—it only allows family members of the aborted fetus to sue the abortion provider. And, unlike the Texas law, the Idaho legislation does allow exceptions for victims of rape and incest, but only if the patient can provide a police report.
Since the Texas law was enacted, the state has seen a 60 percent drop in abortions—while clinics in neighboring states have witnessed skyrocketing demand. Even Oregon, separated from Texas by three states, has felt that increase: The regional abortion fund provider Northwest Abortion Access Fund (NWAAF) reports receiving four times as many calls in the past six months from Texans seeking an abortion in Oregon than the same period the previous year.
With Idaho just next door, Oregon abortion providers and advocates are expecting a much larger surge in need from Idaho residents seeking an abortion. It’s a need that Oregon abortion advocates have been preparing to meet for years.
