The Boise City Council passed a resolution on Tuesday to limit city funds from being used to investigate abortions and enforce Idaho’s abortion law.
The resolution states “investigations for the purpose of prosecuting abortion providers will not be prioritized, and additional resources or personnel will not be assigned” to such cases.
It prevents city funds from being used to store reports of abortions or attempted abortions and from providing information to government entities or professional licensing boards on abortions preformed. It also blocks city funds from being used for conducting surveillance related to an abortion investigation.
Idaho is a deeply red state, but the Boise City Council “stands out for how blue it is,” according to Idaho Press. Boise City Council seats are nonpartisan, but council members can express political beliefs. The council was dominated by Democrats before the 2021 election, when Luci Willits, a Republican, was elected.
The Boise City Council voted 3-2 to pass the resolution. Councilwoman Elaine Clegg said she supported abortion rights but did not believe health care is a city issue. Both she and Willits voted against the resolution, Boise State Public Radio reported.
The resolution does not apply to investigations that involve coercion or force being used against the pregnant person, conduct criminally negligent to the health of the pregnant person and cases where abortion is not the crime being investigated but is evidence of another crime.
Additionally, city funds will not be used to further civil action under Idaho law, which allows a pregnant person or family members to sue medical professionals who “knowingly or recklessly attempted, performed, or induced the abortion” in violation of the law.
“The City of Boise formally condemns any action intended to abrogate the fundamental liberties of its people and affirms its commitment to protecting its residents’ rights, including the right to make reproductive health decisions for themselves,” the resolution reads.
In a tweet, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, a Democrat, said Idaho’s “extreme” abortion law erodes residents’ rights, invades privacy and puts health at risk.
“Boise won’t be a part of this,” she wrote.
Tonight we passed a resolution that we won’t use city resources to investigate claims of abortion. The extreme Idaho law erodes our residents’ rights, invades our privacy, and puts the health of many at risk. Boise won’t be a part of this. ~ LM
— Mayor McLean (@boisemayor) July 20, 2022
Idaho is one of 13 states that had an abortion “trigger law” in the case of Roe v. Wade being overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, which occurred June 24.
Idaho’s abortion ban makes performing an abortion a felony with exceptions to save the life of the pregnant person, and rape and incest cases with a police report. The law will likely take effect in late August or early September, reports the Idaho Capitol Sun.
The Idaho Republican Party made national headlines this week after rejecting language in the party’s platform to allow abortion to save a pregnant person’s life during the Idaho GOP state convention which wrapped up on Saturday.