On March 23, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed Senate Bill 1309 into law, the controversial bill that bans abortion after 6-weeks of pregnancy and allows family members to sue abortion providers for up to $20,000 in damages.
This led healthcare and abortion provider Planned Parenthood to sue the state of Idaho on March 30 in an effort to block the state’s new bill, set to take effect on April 22.
“The abortion ban blatantly undermines patients’ right to privacy. It also improperly and illegally delegates law enforcement to private citizens, violating the separation of powers and allowing plaintiffs without injury to sue, in violation of the Idaho Constitution,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement announcing their decision to sue.
According to the press release, lawyers from the law firms WilmerHale and Bartlett French filed the petition on behalf of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai’i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky and Idaho provider Dr. Caitlin Gustafson.
“The reality is that some pregnant people in Idaho will be forced to remain pregnant, even if the pregnancy is dangerous, or seek abortion outside the health care system,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement.
Photo courtesy of Darin Oswald, Idaho Statesman
