BOISE, Idaho — The Boise City Council voted on a resolution to not prioritize city resources to investigate abortions. Idaho's two abortion laws are currently held up in the Idaho Supreme Court and access to abortions is still available.
Idaho Supreme Court has a hearing set for both Laws on August 3.
The resolution passed 3-2, Idaho News 6 news partners BoiseDev report.
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean addressed the vote in a tweet, saying "The extreme Idaho law erodes our resident's rights, invades our privacy, and puts the health of many at risk. Boise won’t be a part of this," said McLean.
Tonight we passed a resolution that we won’t use city resources to investigate claims of abortion. The extreme Idaho law erodes our residents’ rights, invades our privacy, and puts the health of many at risk. Boise won’t be a part of this. ~ LM
— Mayor McLean (@boisemayor) July 20, 2022
The resolution has five sections laying out the City of Boise's policy and intentions regarding using City resources and funds for investigating claims of illegal abortions:
- Section 1: The City of Boise formally condemns any action intended to abrogate the fundamental liberties of its people and affirms its commitment to protecting its residents’ rights, including the right to make reproductive health decisions for themselves.
- Section 2: Investigations for the purpose of prosecuting abortion providers will not be prioritized, and additional resources or personnel will not be assigned.
- Section 3: It is the policy of the City of Boise that, except to the extent otherwise required by state or federal law, city funds will not be used to:
- A. Store or catalog any report of performing or attempting to perform an abortion;
- B. Provide information to any other governmental body, agency, or professional licensing board about any abortion performed, or attempted to be performed, or conduct surveillance or collect data or other information related to any individual, organization, location, vehicle, action, financial record, and internet activity for the purpose of determining whether an abortion has been performed or attempted to be performed, except for the collection of aggregated data without personally identifying information or personal health information for purposes unrelated to criminal investigation, enforcement, or prosecution; and
- C. Assist in furthering any civil action filed pursuant to Idaho Code § 18-8807.
- Section 4: This policy does not apply to abortion investigations involving coercion or force used against the pregnant person, conduct criminally negligent to the health of the pregnant person seeking care, and cases where the abortion is not the crime being investigated but is investigated as evidence of another crime, such as sexual assault.
- Section 5: That this Resolution shall be in full force and effect upon its adoption and approval.
It is important to note resolutions are not law or city ordinances and are considered formal decisions and opinions related to policy.
Idaho GOP's new chairwoman Dorothy Moon responded to the vote in a tweet.
Democrats love to render principles essential to our self-governing republic as nothing more than glib catchphrases. But under my leadership of the Republican Party, “The Rule of Law” will not be another victim of their propaganda. #idgop pic.twitter.com/QYoK14mTAB
— Dorothy Moon (@moonforidaho) July 20, 2022
You can read the full City of Boise resolution here.
