This upcoming Tuesday, on November 3, Idahoans will be voting on Prop 1, which is arguably one of the most significant ballot initiatives that has ever gone on an Idaho ballot.
Many say that Prop 1 will ensure that women have access to reproductive healthcare and will preserve a “women’s right to choose.” Never mind the fact that current Idaho abortion laws already make provisions for medical emergencies, rape, and incest, or that there are growing concerns that the vague, broad language of Prop 1 could be used to justify late-term abortions, abortions that are not performed by actual medical professionals, or call into question parental consent for minors. These are all valid concerns that many have raised. But there is another point that I believe is of particular concern to Idahoans, and that should be taken into grave consideration.
Did you know that the state of California has abortion legislation in place that is alarmingly similar to the measures that would be implemented by Prop 1? This includes permitting late-term abortions, dramatically expanding abortion access, and allowing minors to obtain abortions without parental consent or notification. In fact, there are some who have argued that from a legal standpoint the broad language of Idaho’s Prop 1 is, in some ways, broader than California’s abortion laws. In recent years, Idahoans have become increasingly concerned about the influence of California transplants in their state and voiced the need to protect Idaho from becoming like the state these newcomers have left. This is an issue that is very important to me as well, only in my case, it just so happens that I am a native Californian.
I moved to Idaho with my family from California over eight years ago when I was a young teenager. It was heartbreaking to have to leave the state I had called home for most of my life, but even worse was watching its destruction by radical policies and corruption. The sad thing is that California was once one of the most conservative states in the nation. Yet, slowly but surely, it was bought down by radical politics, compromises, and corruption, and today, hardly anyone can remember the time when it was the pride of the nation, boasting Republican legends including none other than Ronald Reagan.
When I first came to Idaho, it literally felt like I had arrived in the land of the free, and with each passing year, I have come to love it more and more. At the same time, however, I have been increasingly concerned to observe the very same policies that destroyed my home state being introduced here in Idaho! I do not want to see Idaho become another California, and that is why I want to urge everyone who reads this to please vote NO on Prop 1. Besides all of the moral issues it would introduce, the fact that it so closely resembles California legislation should alarm every Idahoan voter.
My dad best summarized our family—and other Californians like us who love Idaho and what she stands for—by saying, “We are from your future, and here to warn you.” Please, vote NO on Prop 1, and remember that voting in favor of such radical legislation will bring Idaho one step closer to becoming like California.
Thank you, and God bless.
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