Idaho
Idaho Republicans Are Directly Asking Hospitals for Abortion Records
In an especially chilling move, Idaho lawmakers have directly asked hospitals in the state for their abortion records, as the state continues to escalate its war on pregnant people and health care providers. A letter from legislators in the Idaho Freedom Caucus, obtained by Northwest Public Broadcasting this week, shows Republicans questioning the accuracy of abortion data that hospitals in the state have reported to the government, as is required by state law. The letter also chillingly reminds hospitals of the penalties for failing to report abortions: a misdemeanor charge, $1,000 fine, and imprisonment for up to a year.
“Has your hospital performed any of the induced abortions that are required to be reported?” the letter asks. “If so, has your hospital been in compliance with Idaho’s induced abortion reporting law? If not, is there a reasonable explanation, and will you please provide your induced abortion data so we can make informed policy decisions?”
For the last year now, Idaho has enforced a total abortion ban—with exceptions only for life endangerment and rape—that criminalizes health care providers in violation.
The Republican lawmakers say their letter comes in response to months-old testimony from the legal counsel for the Idaho Medical Association, who spoke before the legislature in March in support of a bill to clarify the state abortion ban’s life endangerment exception. (The bill, HB 374, has since been signed into law and explicitly allows physicians to provide abortions for ectopic and molar pregnancies without the threat of criminalization.) But Idaho lawmakers now say there’s a discrepancy between claims made in this testimony and the state’s abortion reporting numbers. According to the letter, only five of Idaho’s 44 counties have reported their abortion data to the state in the past 11 years. Further, state Rep. Heather Scott (R) told NPB in a statement that “no form of induced abortion”—including for medical emergencies—is exempt from the state’s reporting laws.
The Idaho Hospital Association and Idaho Medical Association didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. But speaking to NPB, a spokesperson for the Idaho Hospital Association characterized the letter as unexpected. “It really seemed like an unusual request going around the Department of Health and Welfare to get information that is protected by state law,” they said. “Other than that, we really don’t have a comment.”
The discrepancy in abortion reporting from hospitals, alleged by Idaho Republicans, could actually be explained by a number of factors—namely, that hospitals in rural counties or hospitals with fewer resources often refer abortion-seeking patients to hospitals in larger counties. But, of course, the state’s anti-abortion lawmakers seem less interested in a logical explanation than another opportunity to intimidate, surveil, and possibly criminalize health care providers. And while Idaho’s abortion ban doesn’t explicitly criminalize abortion patients, abortion reporting laws can still put patients and pregnant people at criminal risk, too, given increasing cases of pregnancy-related criminalization.
In April, Idaho became the first state in the nation to enact a law that criminalizes so-called “abortion trafficking” (that is, helping minors cross state lines to access abortion care) as a felony punishable with up to five years in prison. The consequences of the state’s abortion ban and laws like this have been steep: In March, a hospital in a rural region of Idaho was forced to shutter its labor and delivery department after an exodus of OB/GYNs who feared that continuing to do their job in the state could land them in prison.
Per a press release that the hospital, Bonner General Health, shared with Jezebel in March, “The Idaho Legislature continues to pass bills that criminalize physicians for medical care nationally recognized as the standard of care. Consequences for Idaho physicians providing the standard of care may include civil litigation and criminal prosecution, leading to jail time or fines.” And, even more alarmingly, in June, Idaho ended its maternal mortality review committee. The U.S. maintains the highest maternal mortality rate among wealthy nations, and states with more abortion restrictions have disproportionately high maternal mortality rates.
Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
BIZ BUZZ
AMMON
Founder of Idaho Falls Pediatrics looks back on 25 years of operation
AMMON – Inside the Quidditch room, one of dozens of themed spaces in the 14,000-square-foot castle at 3067 Eagle Drive in Ammon where Idaho Falls Pediatrics does business, Dr. Ron Porter reflects on the company’s 25 years of operation.
The 59-year-old Idaho Falls man founded the practice in 2000 off Sunnyside and Holmes Avenue and was its sole physician early on. Today, he’s one of five doctors who meet daily with patients, and it’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of his life.
“I like to see parents enjoying bringing their kids (to the office),” Porter tells EastIdahoNews.com. “I like to be able to help that enjoyment. When they’re stressed about an illness or something that’s going on with their development, I love to relieve that stress.”
Porter says celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary seems a bit unreal. He’s looking forward to celebrating with the community in some way, the details of which have not been finalized.
He couldn’t be happier about practicing medicine in eastern Idaho, and he’s amazed at how much they’ve grown over the years.
It all began in a little building off Sunnyside and Holmes Avenue in Idaho Falls on Jan. 2, 2000. Porter started the practice alone and started seeing patients.
He had graduated from medical school six years earlier and joined an existing practice for several years.
The decision to open his own pediatric clinic stemmed from his love of kids.
“In med school, I always enjoyed the rotations where there were kids involved,” Porter says. “When I did my OB-GYN rotation, we were delivering babies, and I was loving it. That moment when the baby is born, and you still need to be taking care of Mom, I just wanted to be with the baby. That’s when it dawned on me (to go into pediatrics).”
He was the sole physician at Idaho Falls Pediatrics for about 18 months before Dr. Scott Smith came on board. Together, they doubled the clinic’s workload.
Then in 2004, Dr. Joseph Moore became the third partner in the business.
The need for more space prompted them to move to a building on Coronado several years later.
“We were in that office for quite a while, and Dr. Mitchell Storts joined us over there,” Porter says.
Eventually, they added a building that resembles a schoolhouse on the west side of town when the Coronado building became inadequate.
Continued growth led to the development of the Eagle Drive location in Ammon. They broke ground on the building in 2019. It was completed in January the following year and opened in February.
RELATED | Idaho Falls Pediatrics opening new office in Ammon next month
Its unique design was intended to make going to the doctor fun for kids.
“We’ve always had murals on the wall and tried to make it kid friendly. We’ve gotten a little more creative with each building that we’ve done,” says Porter.
A fifth doctor, Dr. Ty Webb, joined the practice when the Ammon building opened in 2020. A sixth doctor is joining the business later this year.
Porter is grateful for the community’s support over the years and looks forward to continue serving patients in eastern Idaho.
“Our goal is just to provide good care for kids and help parents with those growing, developing children,” he says. “We love the community and it’s been a pleasure serving it.”
Idaho Falls Pediatrics is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday with a 6 p.m. closing time on Saturday.
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Police are investigating after two people were found deceased in a parking lot at a trucking company’s facility in Jerome, Idaho.
At 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 14, the Jerome County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) responded to the Arlo G. Lott Trucking facility in Jerome County, according to a JCSO news release.
Deputies discovered the bodies of an adult male and an adult female, both with gunshot wounds, in the lot.
JCSO stated that the early investigation indicates a murder-suicide, and that there is no indication that anyone else was involved.
No identities have been released and the incident remains under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to call JCSO Detective Eric Snarr at 208-595-3311.
Idaho
Kimberly girl’s basketball sits atop the 4A SCIC with win over Gooding; Tuesday Idaho prep scores
GOODING, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — It was a battle at Gooding High School Tuesday night in the 4A Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference.
The Kimberly Bulldogs girls basketball team (10-7) took on Gooding (8-6) as both teams entered 3-0 in conference play.
Points were tough to come by in the first quarter as both teams struggled to take the lid off the basketball.
Both teams found its groove but Kimberly took a strong 12-point lead into the break.
Gooding would close the margin in the third but the Bulldogs came to play and held off the Senators to win 68-52 and sit alone atop the conference.
Sophomore sensation Taya Plew led the Bulldogs with 20 points while freshman Brooklyn VerWey added 13 points and nine rebounds.
Hope Ward would finish in double-figures with 10 points while Ady Osborne had six points and 13 rebounds.
Gooding’s Emma Day scored 17 and Camryn Rycraft had 14.
Kimberly is back in action on Thursday to host Buhl.
Gooding will host Wendell on Wednesday.
Other girl’s basketball scores
6A
Madison 61, Canyon Ridge 24
5A
Burley 71, Minico 48
Mountain Home 56, Twin Falls 47
4A
Filer 41, Buhl 39
2A
Valley 64, Murtaugh 30
- Hailey Malone had 15 points for Valley while Peyton Stanger had eight for Murtaugh.
Raft River 54, Hagerman 23
- Ryan Udy led the way with 16 points along with five rebounds and steals. Brooke Bingham scored 14 in the win.
- Annalise Colt led Hageman with 11
1A
Carey 49, Hansen 18
Dietrich 72, Castleford 20
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