COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – The Idaho GOP held a state convention in Coeur d’Alene last week. A platform resolution approved by convention attendees took the party’s opposition to abortion a step further by condemning exceptions to anti-abortion laws for rape and incest.
The platform amendment offered to members of the convention, which attendees said was unchanged when it was approved, explicitly called for the criminalization of abortion and said that there should be no exceptions in the cases of rape or incest.
“We affirm that the intentional taking of human life through the act of abortion is murder…All children should be protected regardless of the circumstances of conception, including persons conceived in rape and incest,” a platform amendment said.
Current Idaho state law has already criminalized abortion as a felony punishable by up to five years in prison with rape and incest exceptions. A University of Washington study published in late May found that the number of people traveling to the Evergreen State to receive abortions has increased by 50% since the repeal of Roe v. Wade.
Idaho’s GOP went on to argue for stronger criminalization for abortion and the amendment of the state constitution to codify the illegality of the practice.
“We support the criminalization of all murders by abortion within the state’s jurisdiction. We also support strengthening the Idaho Constitution’s declaration of the right to life for preborn children,” the platform amendment said.
While the proposed platform is publicly available and attendees said that it was not changed after voting, the final version is unavailable for public viewing as of June 19.
