Christian Welp, legislative liaison for the Diocese of Boise, is asking Catholics to contact Representatives on the House State Affairs Committee to vote no on H342. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning, March 22, at 8 a.m.
“This bill was drafted by the Idaho Medical Association, and it is a bad bill for Idaho,” Welp said. “The language of this bill would open up more options for doctors to perform abortions in Idaho.” Welp said all of the pro-life organizations, except one, were left out of the discussions on the language of the bill. “Right to Life of Idaho, Idaho Family Policy Center, Idaho4Life and the Catholic Church were all left out of the conversation. None of us saw the language to the bill until after the print hearing in the State Affairs Committee. They are trying to rush this bill through quickly to get it passed with no one knowing about it. We agree that changes need to be made to the Trigger Law; however, no changes are better than bad changes. We have come so far to stop abortion in Idaho. We do not want to cede ground now.”
To state a position on the bill, call 208 332-1000 or the State Affairs Committee at 208 332-1145. State the bill number – H342 – and your position on the bill when asked to leave a general message. Members of the House State Affairs Committee can be found at legislature.idaho.gov. Click on “Committees,” then “House Standing Committees,” and scroll down to “State Affairs.”