16 more states hope to weigh in on Idaho abortion lawsuit

By REBECCA BOONE
Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Sixteen more states are asking to weigh in on the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit against Idaho over its strict abortion ban. The Justice Department sued the Republican-led state of Idaho earlier this month, saying the abortion ban set to take effect next week violates a federal law requiring Medicaid-funded hospitals to provide “stabilizing treatment” to patients experiencing medical emergencies. The Biden administration says that includes emergency abortion care. In court documents filed Friday, 16 states, including Indiana, Montana and Texas, characterized the federal government’s guidelines as conditions for a grant, and said they do not have the power to preempt state law. Twenty states sided with the federal government in another brief earlier this week.