Testimony: ‘Abortion is not health care’

Julie Lynde, executive director of the Cornerstone Family Council, was the first to testify in favor of HB 530 today, following about a dozen opponents. “Why is this good state policy?  It protects religious freedom and states’ rights,” she said. “I don’t know that the government should be injecting itself into telling an insurance company what they actually have to provide, when there is so much difference in society on whether or not that’s objectionable.”

Jason Herring, president of Right to Life of Idaho, told the House Health & Welfare Committee, “We are not opposed to contraception. We are, however, opposed to abortifascients that are packaged under the guise of contraception. … Abortion is not health care.” House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, asked Herring, “But this bill doesn’t differentiate ‘good’ contraception from ‘bad’ contraception, does it? I can’t read that in the bill at all.” Herring responded, “That’s something you’d have to take up with the bill’s sponsor, but we do support HB 530 for this reason.”