Limit Sought On Abortion After 13th Week Group Working Out Particulars For Ballot Initiative On Restrictions

A group called “Idahoans for Compassion” is launching a ballot initiative to restrict abortions after the 13th week of pregnancy.

“Abortion is legal, we can’t stop that. But at least we can see that babies are treated humanely,” Terri Slack said Sunday.

The exact wording of the initiative is still under review, but specifically, the group has singled out an abortion technique that involves bringing the fetus partially into the birth canal and removing its brains to reduce the size of the head.

Idaho women had 1,346 abortions in 1993, the latest vital statistics available. Of those, 1,280 were performed before the 13th week.

Idaho law stipulates that an abortion performed in the second trimester be determined in the best medical interest of the woman. Abortions performed in the third trimester of pregnancy shall be undertaken to preserve the life of the mother and to preserve “any reasonable potential for survival for a viable fetus.”

Sabrina Shalz, associate director of Planned Parenthood of Idaho, said few physicians in the state performed abortions after 14 weeks. The medical director at Planned Parenthood will not perform an abortion after 16 weeks.

“The furthest that I know that we refer out is 27 weeks, and usually those are teens or real young people who have no idea or are denying they are pregnant and once their parents get involved, they are that far along,” Shalz said.

Those women are referred to clinics outside the state. Shalz said that has happened no more than twice in the 5 1/2 years she’s been with Planned Parenthood.