On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Idaho Senator Brandon Shippy introduced a bill penalizing those seeking an abortion in the northwestern state. If passed, the bill would provide embryos and fetuses the same legal protections “as would apply to the homicide of a human being who had been born alive.” Moreover, Shippy claims the bill would prohibit the “intentional killing of pre-born life” and ensure “justice for pre-born children.”
“This legislation, titled the ‘Idaho Prenatal Equal Protection Act,’ ensures that [pre-born] children are protected under the same criminal and civil laws as born persons. The act defines a [pre-born child] as a human being from the moment of fertilization and removes provisions in state law that fail to uphold equal protection for [pre-born] persons. The legislation also includes provisions to protect pregnant mothers from being coerced into an abortion,” the bill’s statement of purpose reads. “The act provides for exceptions where the unintentional death of a [pre-born] child occurs as a result of life-saving procedures for the mother. It applies prospectively and does not impact actions committed prior to its effective date.”
The bill is co-sponsored by several members of the Idaho Senate, including Joshua Kohl, Christy Zito, Cindy J. Carlson and Glenneda Zuiderveld, but it has been labeled as “extremist” by the Idaho Democratic Caucus.
“Idahoans have lived the ugly, harmful consequences post-Dobbs, with women being airlifted out of state to obtain lifesaving reproductive healthcare, and more than 22% of our OB-GYNs fleeing the state,” a statement from Idaho Joint Democratic Caucus reads. “Since 2022, we have seen firsthand that medical outcomes for women and their families don’t improve when politicians insert themselves into the exam room, legislating what should be private medical decisions. Rep. Shippy’s bill is yet another step in this cruel, draconian direction, and it must be stopped.”
The legislative battle taking place in Idaho is unfolding as a similar legislative standoff unfolds on Capitol Hill. On January 24, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order preventing “federal funding of elective abortion” while also revoking 2022’s Executive Order 14076 (Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare Services) and Executive Order 14079 (Securing Access to Reproductive and Other Healthcare Services).
In response, Democrats have openly criticized Trump, calling him the a proponent of “horrific abortion bans.”
“Because of Donald Trump, women are dying due to the horrific abortion bans made possible by his hand-picked Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade,” Democratic National Committee Senior Spokesperson Hannah Muldavin said. “Trump has stripped away the fundamental right for women to make decisions about their own health care. We’re already living in a world where daughters have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers — and Trump has hired MAGA extremists to implement an agenda that further chips away at those rights. During this time when extremists feel emboldened to implement dangerous anti-choice policies, Democrats will not stop fighting to restore Roe’s protections.”
