The Idaho state House has approved a bill that would stop the trafficking of teenage girls to other states for secret abortions without their parents’ knowledge or consent.
HB 242, the bill protecting a pregnant minor from the abuse of abortion trafficking just passed the Idaho House 57 to 12. It now heads to the Senate for consideration.
The bill’s House sponsors, Rep. Barbara Ehardt and Rep. Kevin Andrus led the bill through the state House process and now it needs to advance in the other chamber to get to the governor for a signature.
“We are only looking to continue to protect our children and our parental rights,” Ehardt said about the measure.
Assistant House Minority Leader Lauren Necochea, D-Boise, voted against the bill along with Rep. Steve Berch, D-Boise.
Right to Life of Idaho supports the bill and told LifeNews, “We are aware of at least one verified Idaho case of a pregnant minor being taken out of state for an abortion without her parent’s knowledge or consent. In a related issue, records indicate that there were at least 9 reported cases of minors involved in human trafficking for sex in Idaho in 2021 alone. These are just the reported cases. If a minor being trafficked for sex becomes pregnant that is considered a liability for the person(s) trafficking her. Abortion trafficking then becomes the only option for them.”
ACTION ALERT: Please contact your Idaho Senator now to support HB 242.
