Along with the ACLU of Idaho, the Idaho Democratic Party, physician groups and many other organizations, the Bonner County Democratic Central Committee wishes to declare its unequivocal support for the citizen-led initiative to end Idaho’s strict abortion bans and restore reproductive freedom rights.
Our endorsement stems not just from the loss of our OB-GYNs in Bonner County (and a third statewide) because Idaho abortion laws offer no exceptions for the health or fertility of the mother and threaten to prosecute doctors for providing care.
Nor is it based strictly on the fact that Idaho is now ranked dead last in the nation for access to maternity care providers and that patients facing complicated pregnancies are being forced to travel out of state or wait until their condition becomes a life-threatening crisis.
Or that our abortion laws are out of touch with what most Idahoans want for their families: a January 2026 Boise State University Idaho Public Policy Survey found that roughly 60 percent of Idahoans support the proposed ballot initiative – the Idaho Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act.
While all of these factors play a critical role, the simplest yet equally profound reason for our support may is this: as Idahoans who value our independence from overbearing and intrusive government oversight, we believe the most personal health decisions should be made by patients, families, and doctors, not by politicians. Period.
Karen Matthee
Chair
Bonner County Democrats
We moved to North Idaho to escape evil and you want to bring it here……there is a God and you will answer for this someday………..
Yet another thinly veiled threat from a “religious” individual. Given your perspectives, it may be best for you to move on. You might find a location like Topeka, Kansas, better suited to your views.
You must also hold some form of religion if you think it’s wrong to prevent infant murder. What is your system of values that allows one person to put their needs and desires against another — even an unborn innocent. Materialism or humanism perhaps?
The reality of our Republic is that it recognizes the right to life of every individual. Regardless of your world view, you have to contend with that fact first. You could change our laws. Or you could try prove that the position of a baby determines its value. Then you’ll just have to address the harm done to your soul.
“Reproductive Freedom Rights.” What a manipulative name for murder…
This is where you want to take your stand?
This is the issue that defines your platform?
Civilized society for most of human history has recognized “reproductive freedom” as infanticide or child sacrifice. Call it what you want, a society can inflict no greater self-harm on itself and it’s members.