Idaho Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Abortion Ban Modeled Off Texas Law
April 9, 2022 | Idaho
The Idaho Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the implementation of a new abortion law in the state that has an enforcement mechanism modeled on an abortion ban in Texas, enabling the law to be enforced through private citizens filing lawsuits against abortion providers.
The abortion ban was signed into law on March 23, making Idaho the first state to enact legislation modeled after Texas’s ban.
The measure bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, at about six weeks of pregnancy. It was scheduled to go into effect on April 22 before the latest order (pdf) from the state’s high court granted a stay in response to a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood.
Per the order, the ban will be blocked temporarily, pending a final decision. The court has ordered both sides to file further briefs as it considers the case.
Republican Gov. Brad Little had expressed concerns about whether the law, known as S.B. 1309, was constitutional when he signed the legislation.
