The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in the case concerning whether a 1986 federal law preempts Idaho’s near-total abortion ban. The Idaho statute criminalizes performing or attempting to perform an abortion unless not doing so would result in the mother’s death. The Biden administration argues that the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) preempts the Idaho law. The case is an appeal from a Ninth Circuit decision that halted Idaho’s ban.

Attorney Joshua Turner argued on behalf of the petitioners. Turner asserted that states are responsible for licensing doctors and setting the scope of their professional practice and that the Biden administration misreads EMTALA. Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson wrestled with Turner on the scope of EMTALA and what it tells hospitals to do.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor pressed Turner on what the Idaho law tells doctors to do in an emergency. Sotomayor also compared the Idaho law with real-life scenarios, including a situation in Florida where a woman was denied medical care when she was experiencing pregnancy complications because the doctors could not conclude that she would die from the complication. The next day, the woman experienced bleeding, and doctors treated her because she could have died from the bleeding. Justice Amy Coney Barrett also asked how the Idaho law would impact a woman in this scenario. 

Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued on behalf of the US. Prelogar asserted that Idaho cannot criminalize the medical care that EMTALA requires. Justice Samuel Alito asked Prelogar how EMTALA’s standard of care impacts women at different stages of their pregnancy differently. Additionally, Alito had Prelogar define several terms with EMTALA to better understand the standard it sets for hospitals treating patients in emergency scenarios, including “serious jeopardy.” Justice Neil Gorsuch questioned Prelogar on the scope of Congress’s spending power and if this limits EMTALA’s ability to regulate hospitals. Lastly, Chief Justice John Roberts asked Prelogar if EMTALA requires religiously affiliated hospitals to perform abortions, to which Prelogar responded, “No.”

EMTALA sets conditions for hospitals to receive Medicare funds and mandates that hospitals have to “stabilize” patients with emergency conditions in hospitals.

In response to the arguments, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stated:

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) plays a critical role in ensuring that patients across the country have access to emergency medical care and lifesaving interventions. For pregnant people, abortion may be the lifesaving intervention needed. It is therefore essential that abortion care be covered by the federal protections afforded by EMTALA. We urge the Supreme Court to preserve EMTALA’s protections for emergency abortion care even in states where abortion is otherwise banned or restricted.

Abortion continues to be a divisive issue in the US since the 2022 US Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. There, the court ruled that abortion was not a constitutional right but a state-level issue, laying the foundation for states to ban abortion entirely or at specific gestational milestones. Earlier this month, Arizona’s Supreme Court found that a 159-year-old law prohibiting abortion is enforceable. After this, the Arizona House of Representatives erupted into chants of “shame” after Republican members voted to adjourn instead of discussing a bill that would repeal the state’s 1864 abortion ban.

Brandon Griffin designing an animated video course at Stukent in Idaho Falls. See how it works in the video above. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

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

IDAHO FALLS

Local company that makes digital courseware for students turns 10

IDAHO FALLS – After building one of Inc 5000’s “fastest-growing private companies in America,” Stuart Draper is looking forward to the next phase of life.

The 40-year-old Idaho Falls man stepped down as CEO of Stukent earlier this year. It’s a company he started in 2014 to make sure schools and universities had access to updated textbooks.

A decade later, it’s served more than a million students worldwide.

Stukent provides digital courseware content for about 1,000 universities and high schools. From a 25,000-square-foot building at 1755 International Way in Idaho Falls, about 175 employees work with professors to provide 45 online courses. Most of them revolve around business topics. Two of the most popular courses are digital marketing and social media marketing.

The business continues to grow and evolve after being listed among the nation’s fastest-growing companies for the last six years, and 2024 marks 10 years since its launch. The community is invited to celebrate this milestone on Thursday with a tour and open house of its new building.

RELATED | Outdated textbooks were a problem for him, so he did something about it

Jim Holm was hired as Stukent’s new CEO in February. He’s impressed with everything Draper and his team accomplished, and he’s eager to build on that vision.

“It’s been fun to see the great thing that’s been built. I wasn’t here for the journey that got us here, but I have an interesting perspective on where we’re at now,” Holm says.

The company’s claim to fame is its simternship model. It’s a 10-week digital simulation for students to practice hands-on skills in the workplace. Brandon Griffin is one of the videographers who creates this content. Get a taste of how it’s made in the video above.

Holm says many students aren’t coming out of college with relevant real-world experience and this simulation gives them the ability to compete in the job market after graduation.

“Focusing on the skills you need as a first-time employee with two years of experience is critical in order to help students with the transition from education into employment,” says Holm.

Holm previously worked for a Boston-based company called Examity, which provides remote proctoring services for universities so students can take exams anywhere in the world instead of going to the testing center.

He met the investment team for Stukent in Utah last year. Realizing how similar the customer base was, Holm was interested in being involved.

“Education technology is a relatively small world, but this is completely different from what I’ve done previously,” Holm explains.

After 10 years of putting everything he had into building Stukent, Draper says he wanted to have more time with his family.

Still, Draper is the company’s second-largest shareholder and remains on its board of directors as he pursues other business interests.

What he’s most proud of during his tenure is seeing the positive impact his company had on the lives of employees.

“We’ve helped over 100 people buy and sell homes through their income from Stukent. For the majority of them, it was their first home purchase. So the work we’ve done with our startup has really had an impact on the local economy,” Draper says.

He expresses gratitude for every team member who played a role in getting the business to this point, and he’s eager to see what Holm does with it.

“I’m really excited to watch Jim take it to the next level,” says Draper.

Holm says they’re working with Jim and Earl Stice, two emeritus accounting professors from Brigham Young University, to build new courses in this field of study.

Holm says the overall goal is to make the software more immersive to “close the gap” between traditional learning and digital simulations so that students “have a leg up” in the job market after they graduate.

“We’re really proud of our heritage of being in eastern Idaho. We love it here and the work ethic of the team members and the creativity they bring,” he says.

Thursday’s tour and open house will begin with a ribbon-cutting of the new building. It begins at 4:30 p.m. Food, drinks and family activities will be provided.

BIZ BITS

Portneuf Primary Care celebrating a decade of business

POCATELLO – Portneuf Primary Care is in its 10th year of delivering high-quality, individualized care to the community.

Services include examinations, health screenings, immunizations, treatment of short and long-term medical conditions, ongoing care of chronic problems, lab work and palliative care.

The team of physicians bring expertise and a personal investment in the education and treatment of their patients.

“It is an honor to commemorate the remarkable 10-year anniversary of the Portneuf Primary Care Clinic and this team of providers,” said Jordan Herget, CEO and President, Portneuf Medical Center. “Please join me in thanking this team for providing exceptional patient care and for their ongoing dedication to improving the health and well-being of our community.”

To schedule an appointment with Portneuf Primary Care, call (208) 239-3815. For an appointment with Specialized Family Medicine, call (208) 269-7147.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Local family celebrating one year of providing Pocatello with popular, hard-to-find toy

Gas over $4 a gallon could be in your future

Business focusing on hard parts for camp trailers now open in eastern Idaho

Hawaiian restaurant opens second location in eastern Idaho

Owner of popular Pocatello eatery hopes to maintain extended hours amid staffing challenges