Abortion Becomes Top Issue In District 4 Race

Thu., May 21, 1998

By Julie Titone juliet@spokesman.com

District 4 House

Hank Roseth is taking his first stab at a legislative office using one of the most sharply contentious issues of the 1998 session: abortion.

He says he’s for parental consent for teenage abortions. He contends his Republican primary opponent, Rep. Don Pischner, is against it.

Pischner says he agrees with the need for parental consent, but that it was included in flawed legislation earlier this year. That’s why he voted against it, he said.

“I voted for it the first time, and then it was amended by the Senate … and even the sponsors vacillated,” Pischner said of the bill, which the governor vetoed. “I’ve never thought of myself as pro-choice, and I’m sorry the vote branded me as that.”

The two Coeur d’Alene men are vying to represent sprawling District 4, which covers part of Kootenai, part of Benewah, and all of Shoshone counties.

Pischner, 59, is a construction manager for Idaho Forest Industries. He said the “ugly politics” behind the abortion bills this year was one thing he didn’t like about serving in the Legislature. Other than that, he’s enthusiastic to take on a third term.

Pischner believes that one of his biggest accomplishments in the Legislature has been focusing attention on U.S. Highway 95. And he’s proud of his role on the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee.

Roseth, 65, is a semi-retired investor who said he is eager to give something back to the community. He ran unsuccessfully for city council last year.

In addition to supporting parental consent, he is against partial-birth abortion. Pischner also voted against a bill that included a ban on that procedure.

One of Roseth’s goals is to improve the economy in the Silver Valley. On the issue of school construction, he said he would support either the current two-thirds majority vote for passage of bonds, or reduce that figure to 60 percent.

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