Public Hearings Begin For Abortion Measures

Tue., Feb. 10, 1998

By Betsy Z. Russell betsyr@spokesman.com (208) 336-2854

A third piece of abortion legislation was introduced in a House committee Monday, setting the stage for a series of public hearings that will start this morning. The latest bill, proposed by House Speaker Mike Simpson and the Idaho Christian Coalition, would strengthen parental-consent requirements for minors seeking abortions.

Today, starting at 8:30 a.m., the House State Affairs Committee will take testimony on HB 576, a bill to ban a procedure that its opponents call “partial-birth abortion.”

Committee Chairman Rep. Ron Crane, R-Caldwell, said each side will be given about an hour to make its case. Then the committee will take a vote.

Crane plans to follow roughly the same format for the second piece of abortion legislation, HB 610. That measure, sponsored by the Idaho Family Forum and Rep. Jeff Alltus, R-Hayden, is scheduled for a hearing at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The sweeping bill would add a health exception to Idaho’s ban on third-trimester abortions; strengthen parental-consent requirements; impose extensive new reporting requirements, doctors’ duties and punishments for doctors who don’t comply; allow second-trimester abortions to be performed in outpatient surgical centers rather than just in hospitals; change the definition of fetal viability; and make it illegal for anyone besides a physician to perform an abortion.

Sponsors say the bill would make Idaho’s current law conform to recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings; opponents say it would go beyond that to make it much harder for women to get abortions in Idaho.

The third bill will get its hearing next Monday, Crane said.

If the committee approves the bills, they go to the full House for a vote.

Anyone wishing to comment on the bills may contact their legislators by calling (800) 626-0471; by e-mailing infocntr@lso.state.id.us, or by sending a fax to (208) 334-5397.

North Idaho legislators on the House State Affairs Committee are Reps. Jeff Alltus, R-Hayden; June Judd, D-St. Maries; and Jim Stoicheff, D-Sandpoint.

To see the full text of the bills on the Internet, go to http://www.state.id.us/legislat/legislat.html.

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Public Hearings Begin For Abortion Measures

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