Idaho “Double Ultrasound” Bill Passes Senate Panel
Despite a lack of resolving the issue of offering free ultrasounds that don't comply with the law, an Idaho senate committee is sending the bill for a full vote.
The Idaho legislature still hasn’t decided whether or not a “free” ultrasound provided by a crisis pregnancy center will count as a legally required ultrasound under their proposed bill, but that hasn’t stopped a senate panel from passing the legislation anyway.
Idaho stepped closer to requiring women to have an ultrasound of their fetus before terminating a pregnancy, a measure anti-abortion advocates hope will convince more women to opt against such a procedure.
Boise Sen. Chuck Winder’s legislation cleared the Senate State Affairs Committee Wednesday on a 7-2 vote, with Republicans favoring it and Democrats voting against.
Winder has made it clear that although he knows the bill will likely add a large expense to obtaining an abortion in Idaho, and that his “solution” for providing free ultrasounds won’t actually solve the legal or financial issue, it doesn’t matter since the point of the law is to stop women from having abortions. If she decides to pursue the termination anyway, she should be forced to pay an extra $200 to do it.
The bill will next be voted on by the full senate. We will see how many other senators are have the same opinion as Winder.