|
Idaho Women's March
"Primum non nocere"
WEEK 2
|
|
|
|
Saturday, Jan. 20
Hundreds of people came to the Idaho Statehouse today to show their solidarity around our most basic human rights of self-determination, to make decisions about our own bodies and our own lives. Speakers young and old called on the legislature to focus on real issues of government instead of using government to dictate social policy and limit our freedoms.
One physician was clear: "Primum non nocere," or "FIRST DO NO HARM."
And so with the government, regardless of intent, all these abortion bans, are doing a lot of harm. Pregnant patients can't get good prenatal care and women with high risk pregnancies are suffering, their lives and health on the line
because the laws prohibit doctors from intervening.
The doctor speaking today reminded us that "pregnancy" is the most dangerous physical condition that a woman may endure, and prenatal care drastically increases chance of survival. We are seeing disproportionate increases in maternal mortality in states with abortion bans, and a health care system on the brink of serious failure, especially for pregnant patients. When will it be enough for this legislature?
Speaking of not enough....get ready to testify on...
Monday, Jan 22 - Hearing to Replace Medical Terms w/Ideology (H400)
9:00AM
Room EW40
Sign up to Testify
WEEK ONE, Rep Julianne Young introduced H381, but reintroduced it again this past week (H400) to NOT ONLY change "fetus" to "pre-born child" in statues relating to criminal abortion and gestation, but to ALSO TO REPLACE "EMBRYO" with the same term.
This is very dangerous legislation that further infuses political and religious ideology into law. Republican lawmakers are replacing scientific and medical terms with ideology. If they get their way, they may enact the Republican Party Platform where they state, "We affirm that abortion is murder from the moment of fertilization."
OTHER BILLS IN THE NEWS
H384 - The Infamous Library Bill was pulled back to committee. There are three bills circulating in the Statehouse, and maybe people are finally hearing the significant opposition to censor content in our libraries.
H391 -- House Democratic Leader Rep Rubel, introduced a bipartisan bill to regulate AI content to increase transparency and safety. The bill would make it a misdemeanor to disclose explicit synthetic media with the intent to annoy, terrify, threaten, intimidate, harass, offend, humiliate, or degrade. It also makes it a misdemeanor to threaten to disclose explicit synthetic media for the purpose of obtaining a thing of value.
H406 -- Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Fentanyl was heard in House Judiciary and Rules last week. There has been a long debate in the legislature about mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, because the law takes discretion away from judges to consider the case as a whole. It is a problematic approach; we trust judges with their discretion on other cases, but why not this one? The law also defines trafficking of drugs based on amounts instead of linking that with intent, so it's more likely with such a wide net that you will imprison addicts instead of the kingpin dealers. They will vote on the bill on Tuesday.
H399 -- Maternal Mortality Review Committee -- After the MMRC was killed in the House last year, a bill has been introduced to re-instate the MMRC, taking it out of Health and Welfare and putting it under the Board of Medicine. The committee was allowed to expire last year after political battles, but I hope that politics will subside and this committee will be supported. At a time when we are experiencing the worse abortion bans in the country and seeing women flee the state for health care, it's essential to shine a light on the impacts on our mothers.
|
|
|
On Tuesday, I was able to print my bill S1234 to allow someone to access up to 6 months of their prescription contraception instead of being limited to 3 months as most health insurers currently do.
This is the 5th time this bill has been printed and gone through the legislative process. In 2022, I got the bill through the Senate and all the way to the House floor to be killed after all that work.
At a time when I hear women talking about being afraid to be pregnant due to severe abortion bans, easy access to contraception is imperative. I hope you will share your support with the committee and ask them to pass this important bill.
You can email or call members of the Senate Commerce Committee. Keep an eye on the committee calendar if you want to testify in person or remotely if/when the full hearing is scheduled.
|
|
|
"ADD THE WORDS"
PERSONAL BILL ENTERED INTO THE JOURNAL ON THURSDAY, JAN. 18
The well known bill called “Add the Words,” was read across the desk of the Idaho Senate on Thursday as a “personal” bill on behalf of the House and Senate Democrats. The bill would add the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to The Idaho Human Rights Act, extending protection from discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations.
It was nine years ago, during my first term as a Representative in the House, that this bill was first introduced and after years of pleading, finally received a hearing that lasted several days with over 21 hours of personal testimony in 2015.
I feel so sad about the growing hostility towards the LGBTQ+ community and a lack of real attention on protecting personal freedoms for all Idahoans.
|
|
|
|
Started the morning right with the American Heart Association members talking about aspects of good heart health.
|
|
Idaho Health Care Association members share their stories working with patients with dementia and the serious needs in our community.
|
|
|
Joined our valuable military leaders at the Statehouse for the unveiling of the Women's Medallion honoring women veterans.
|
|
Simon, once a high school intern and now a college student, came for a visit! So proud of him!
|
|
Local news resources to stay updated on the legislature:
|
|
|
|
|
|
