By Attorney General Raúl Labrador
Dear Friends,
On my very first day in office, I was sued over Idaho’s newly passed Defense of Life Act to protect the unborn, following the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The Satanic Temple – a national organization promoting Satanism – claimed abortion was a religious rite for their congregation and to deny them access to ritual abortions would be a constitutional violation. Their ritual as described in their court filings even included the chilling invocation, “By my body, my blood, by my will, it is done.” The Satanic Temple also claimed that Idaho’s law unconstitutionally interfered with its New Mexico abortion clinic, which does business as “The Sam Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic.”
Last week this suit was dismissed with prejudice by the courts. The district court rejected every claim The Satanic Temple asserted. The court held that each claim lacked merit, even describing one of The Satanic Temple’s positions as producing a “blatantly absurd” result.
On the surface it sounds like hyperbole, or an elaborate joke. But this is real life, and with real consequences. Perhaps The Satanic Temple is counting on people to dismiss the real notion of good and evil in our world because it sounds so absurd. But the goals of The Satanic Temple are aligned with the dozens of other abortion activist organizations that are suing Idaho and other states for the exact same legal outcome – abortion on demand. That fact cannot be ignored or laughed away.
I’m grateful for this win but I cannot take it for granted. We’ve been defending Idaho’s laws and our unborn children with steady consistency as multiple cases work their way through the courts and the appeals process. The larger fight is far from over and I won’t stop protecting our kids. I’ve seen enough in this world to know that good and evil do indeed exist, and I pray always for the discernment necessary to identify it. I will continue to defend our state from any and all attacks against our laws that protect the lives of the unborn.
Raúl Labrador was elected Attorney General of Idaho after serving three terms in the Legislature and four terms in the US Congress. The Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to the State of Idaho. The Attorney General and his deputies represent state agencies and offices, to better the lives of Idahoans.
About Raúl Labrador
Raúl Labrador is the 33rd Attorney General of Idaho. The Office of the Attorney General provides legal representation for the State of Idaho. This representation is furnished to state agencies, offices and boards in the furtherance of the state's legal interests. The office is part of state government’s executive branch and its duties are laid out in the Idaho Constitution.
