Public safety is a core service we value from our local government. At its best, it focuses on protecting our personal safety, our property, and the equal rights of every resident. There are never enough resources to address every illegal act, but – given the funds and invasion of privacy that would require – I don’t believe this is what Idahoans want. Rather, we expect local law enforcement to focus on reducing crime that poses significant threats to public safety while dedicating fewer resources to less serious violations.
Now, House Bill 22 seeks to strip local control and prohibit the explicit prioritization of criminal investigations. While cash-strapped law enforcement departments ought to be able to differentiate between rape or fentanyl dealing and marijuana possession, the bill threatens to defund those that do. It targets local governments that formally deprioritize any felonies, but, as the bill sponsor made clear, abortion investigations are the central objective.
Idaho has one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country. It not only criminalizes personal medical decisions with prison sentences but also provides cash awards to family members of the patient who sue doctors and nurses.
Even family members of rapists can sue for these dollars. The laws we have on the books are such an effective deterrent, our state is starting to face challenges in recruiting obstetric gynecologists. Doctors and nurses are fearful of practicing in our state at all, let alone providing abortion care.
In this context, abortion investigations are invasive and cruel. Imagine a zealous resident reporting to the police that their neighbor was pregnant and is no longer. Do we really want local law enforcement showing up on a doorstep to interrogate a woman or teenager about how her pregnancy ended, who her doctor is, and if she can prove it was a miscarriage by showing her medical records?
A 2022 poll commissioned by the Idaho Statesman found a significant majority of Idahoans believe that neither the patient who receives an abortion nor the doctors and nurses should face criminal penalties. This new legislation doubles down on an unpopular policy that may play to far-right extremist ideology but is out of touch with regular Idahoans.
Pregnancy investigations do not serve Idahoans and are counter to our values. I was disappointed that only two Republican representatives joined with Democrats to oppose House Bill 22. As the bill moves to the Senate, I hope my Republican colleagues will recognize the value of local control and law enforcement focused on justice and the public safety of our communities.