Idaho health care providers can refer patients for abortions out of state, federal judge rules

By GENE JOHNSON and ED KOMENDA
Associated Press

A federal judge has ruled that it would violate Idaho medical providers’ free speech rights to sanction them for referring patients to out-of-state abortion services, rejecting the state attorney general’s interpretation of Idaho’s abortion ban.. Republican Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador wrote a letter to a conservative lawmaker in March in which he says referring a patient to legal abortion services in other states would constitute assisting in an abortion or attempted abortion. He says that would require the suspension of the health professional’s license. Planned Parenthood and several medical providers sued the next month, arguing such a restriction would violate their First Amendment right to free speech.