Idaho is the only state that provides no legal protections for breastfeeding mothers, either in public or private, Rep. Paul Amador, R-Coeur d’Alene, told the House Judiciary Committee this afternoon, as he presented legislation to exempt breastfeeding mothers from Idaho’s indecent exposure law. The committee voted unanimously to introduce Amador’s bill, clearing the way for a full hearing; you can read my full story here at spokesman.com.

Amador said 49 states and the District of Columbia have laws on the books specifically allowing women to breastfeed, and 29 states exempt breastfeeding from their public indecency statutes. “Personally I find it disappointing that we as a state have not taken a more proactive stance through legislation to promote the natural bond and benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child,” said Amador, who is the father of an infant son. “Any law that stands in the way of promoting the healthy development of our children is a law that needs to be changed.”

He noted medical and scientific studies that promote breastfeeding as highly beneficial to infant development and health. “It provides the healthiest start for the infant,” he said, and “promotes a unique and emotional connection between mother and baby.”

When then-Rep. Bonnie Douglas, D-Coeur d’Alene, proposed legislation to protect breastfeeding mothers in 2003, then-Rep. Pete Nielsen, R-Mountain Home, told the House Health &  Welfare Committee that he feared that under Douglas' bill, women would be encouraged to ''whip it out and do it anywhere." The 2003 bill didn’t pass.