The US Supreme Court has temporarily reinstated Idaho's strict abortion law. Yesterday, the conservative-dominated Supreme Court set a hearing on the main case for April. The state has one of the strictest abortion laws in the United States.
In June, a controversial Supreme Court ruling struck down the fundamental right to abortion that had existed throughout the United States and placed responsibility for access to abortion in the hands of individual states.
In doing so, the court effectively turned large parts of the country into zones where abortion is nearly impossible. As a result, many conservative states have imposed complete or near complete restrictions on access to abortion.
US government lawsuit
In Idaho, a regulation has been put in place that almost completely prohibits women from having an abortion — unless the woman's life is in immediate danger. Even if there is a risk to the mother's health, the abortion should not be allowed.
The government of US President Joe Biden filed a lawsuit in Washington against this matter, with partial success. A federal judge blocked part of the law. According to federal law, hospital doctors are obligated to perform medical emergency abortions on women insured through the government health insurance company Medicare.
The Supreme Court has now temporarily lifted this restriction while appeal proceedings before the Supreme Court are ongoing. Biden then said the Supreme Court's decision “allows Idaho's severe abortion ban to be reinstated.” This also prevents women from having an emergency abortion, which is possible under federal law.
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