At 1:46 PM on Thursday Idaho Republican Governor Brad Little received Senate Bill 1309, the “Fetal Heartbeat Preborn Child Protection Act,” which if he signs it into law will allow relatives of a pregnant person the legal right to sue – for a minimum of $20,000 – the medical provider who performs an abortion after a “heartbeat” is detected. The bill puts that at six weeks but says it could be even sooner.
“We heard in testimony in the committee; we heard in testimony here today that this will end many abortions in Idaho,” the bill’s sponsor, GOP Rep. Steven Harris said of his bill. “Let’s save some babies.”
Here’s what else Rep. Harris said, during debate on the bill: he admitted that the family members of a rapist, even in the case of incest, under his bill, can sue an abortion provider.
Asked if the family members of a rapist “would be able to sue,” Harris replied: “If it is the parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents, then yes.”
Rep. Harris was also given this example by Democratic Rep. Lauren Necochea:
“So if I am raped and choose to have an abortion and my rapist has ten siblings is there anything to preclude all of them and their spouses from bringing a lawsuit for $20,000 each?”
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“I’m not sure that spouses are included in that list, but, no.”
So the ten siblings of a rapist can sue an abortion provider and collectively walk away with a minimum of $200,000 if Gov. Brad Little signs the bill into law.
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