Two 2015 laws banning prescription of abortion-causing drugs by telemedicine, rather than an in-person examination, would be repealed, under legislation that cleared the House State Affairs Committee today at the behest of anti-abortion lobbyist David Ripley.

Though that procedure wasn’t used in Idaho, backers of the bill said they wanted to make sure Idaho never saw “web-cam abortions.” Ripley, head of Idaho Chooses Life, said the measures, which he pushed two years ago, have been found unconstitutional in a federal court, and the Legislature repealing them would leave his movement in a better position than having a court overturn them. Under a settlement, the federal court is awaiting legislative action; if lawmakers don’t repeal the two laws, the court will declare them unconstitutional and void/Betsy Russell, Eye on Boise. More here.