Idaho lawmaker eyes abortion, taxes for legislative session

BOISE – A new Idaho lawmaker is looking to jump head first into state politics by sponsoring bills targeting abortions and tax reforms.

The Lewiston Tribune reported that Moscow Republican Sen. Dan Foreman is planning to carry four bills this session, including one that would classify abortion as first-degree murder for both the mother and the doctor who performs the operation except in cases where the mother’s life is endangered.

His other bills all focus on tax relief, with one proposed bill looking to reduce state sales tax from 6 percent to 5 percent. Another bill would allow parents who send their children to private schools to deduct up to $8,000 from their income taxes. A third would manage how property taxes are collected.

Foreman defeated three-term Sen. Dan Schmidt in November.