KTRV Fox 12 Parental consent for abortions, now Idaho Law
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Boise, Idaho -- A proposal to require teen girls to get parental permission before an abortion is now Idaho law.
Gov. Butch Otter signed the bill into law Wednesday, which marks the latest attempt by lawmakers to require parental consent, since courts have declared previous such laws unconstitutional.
Sen. Russ Fulcher (R-Meridian) says the new law's constitutionality was tested and passed because it protects the anonymity of minors seeking abortions, when previous laws did not.
"I think the secret sauce, if you will, is just finally getting a bill that was scrubbed enough from a legal standpoint that it passes that constitutional muster. And as it turns out, my colleagues in both the House and the Senate agree, because it did pass overwhelmingly. The governor originally signed it into law yesterday, and that's pretty exciting," said Fulcher.
According to the law, a judge could approve the procedure in cases of incest or abuse, a medical emergency, or if a minor was mature enough to decide on her own.
