By Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon
I’m sure you’ve heard that the so-called “Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act” has qualified for the ballot. That means you, the voters of Idaho, will face a clear choice this November: bring abortion back to Idaho, or maintain our state’s status as a sanctuary for the unborn.
Supporters of the initiative, now called Proposition 1, want you to believe this is simply about restoring the status quo before Roe v. Wade was overturned four years ago. What they won’t tell you is that, long before Roe, Idaho protected preborn babies. Our first territorial legislature prohibited abortion in 1864 because our forefathers recognized what we continue to proclaim today: a preborn child is a human being deserving of legal protection.
Supporters of Prop 1 also want you to believe this initiative is about compassion. It is not. Current Idaho law requires doctors to do everything possible to save both patients, including delivering a baby prematurely if necessary when serious health complications arise. Prop 1, by contrast, authorizes abortion up to birth if a provider determines that continuing the pregnancy threatens the health of the mother. That is a dramatic departure from Idaho’s current protections.
Some supporters of Prop 1 have expressed hope that, if passed, it could also undermine Idaho’s laws protecting children from transgender drugs and surgeries. The initiative declares that “every person,” regardless of age, has the right to make decisions related to their “reproductive health care.”
This language invites court challenges to many Idaho laws protecting children. Courts might ultimately interpret it differently, but do you really want to take that chance?
Prop 1 also threatens mothers. Since Idaho’s Defense of Life laws took effect four years ago, maternal mortality numbers have improved. Abortion carries risks for women as well as their unborn children, particularly when performed by individuals who are not physicians, as the text of this initiative would allow.
Finally, Prop 1 threatens parental rights. If this initiative passes, a minor girl could obtain an abortion six months into her pregnancy and her parents would never be told.
Proposition 1 does far more than repeal Idaho’s Defense of Life laws or return us to the era of Roe v. Wade. It creates sweeping new abortion rights that have never before existed in Idaho law.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Prop 1 is not about freedom, it’s not about privacy, and it’s certainly not about reproduction. This initiative would authorize the deliberate destruction of unique and precious human lives while weakening protections for parents, children, and the unborn. The Idaho GOP will continue to stand for life and urge Idahoans to vote no on Proposition 1.
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About Dorothy Moon
Dorothy Moon was elected to serve as the chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party in July of 2022, and reelected in 2024. Moon served three terms in the Idaho Legislature as State Representative for District 8. Moon’s career in public service has focused on the advancement of individual liberties and reducing the size and scope of government.
