Come November, voters in Idaho will have a decision to make: whether to keep or topple a state law that bans abortions in almost all circumstances.
By Catholics for Catholics
Voters in Idaho will decide in November whether to overturn a state law that bans abortion in nearly all circumstances.
Known as the Reproductive Freedom & Privacy Act, the initiative officially qualified for the November ballot Monday after organizers turned in more than 110,000 signatures, far more than the 70,725 signatures required under Idaho law, and the most ever collected for a qualified ballot initiative in state history, according to Idahoans United for Women and Families, the group behind the measure, according to a story by the Christian Post.
In a statement, Melanie Folwell, executive director of Idahoans United for Women and Families, which backs the initiative, said that she was “immensely proud of the foundation we have built, and to continue that outreach into the fall.”
“We have known from early on this issue was deeply personal and had the ability to break through divisive partisan frames we are navigating nationally right now and certainly, very accurately here in Idaho,” said Folwell, according to The Idaho Capital Sun. “When it comes to making the tough decisions in our lives and in our families, we call the shots and not the government. That is something that has resonated in every corner of the state.”
The Stanton Public Policy Center, a pro-life group, condemned the ballot measure in a statement provided to The Christian Post, saying that since Idaho’s “Defense of Life Act” took effect in 2022, an estimated 6,000 lives have been saved from abortion.
“Idaho has demonstrated that we can protect both women and their children, and we should continue building a culture where every mother is surrounded with hope, practical resources, and life-affirming care,” said Stanton CEO Brandi Swindell.
“We cannot go backward to a system that treats abortion as the solution to women’s challenges. Fifty years of unfettered access to abortion did not solve the societal, familial, and personal challenges women face. Instead, abortion culture placed an undue burden on women and paved the way for abortion abuse.”
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