1. Idaho bill would deal knockout punch to the taxpayer-funded needle exchange program
Idaho House Bill 617 gets a gold star from IFPC! The bill, which is sponsored by Rep. John Vander Woude (R-Nampa), would repeal the Idaho Syringe and Needle Exchange Act that provides free, clean intravenous needles for drug users.
Around 65% of likely Idaho voters oppose taxpayer-funded needle exchange programs, according to statewide public opinion polling that was commissioned by Idaho Family Policy Center.
IFPC Vice President, Titus Folks, testified before the state legislature on Thursday in favor of the bill. He said:
The problem with the so-called “harm reduction approach” is that these programs subsidize continued drug abuse. As Ronald Reagan said, “If you want more of something, subsidize it.”
With this in mind, it’s understandable that a supermajority of likely Idaho voters believe our state should abandon its commitment to enabling and subsidizing illicit drug use.
House Bill 617 – which ended up passing out of the House Health and Welfare committee – would be welcome pushback to coastal liberal elites who want to import failed needle exchange programs like those that have decimated California, Oregon, and Washington.
Be on the lookout as House Bill 617 moves to the House floor. In the meantime, Idaho Family Policy Center will continue our advocacy for biblically sound policies like this one!
2. Huge policy win for Idahoans on fentanyl crisis
On Monday, Governor Brad Little signed House Bill 406 into law.
This bill adds fentanyl to the list of dangerous drugs that carry mandatory minimum sentences, sets the amount required for criminal trafficking at 4 grams (or 2,000 lethal doses), and creates the crime of drug-induced homicide for dealers whose drugs resulted in someone’s death.
In statement on the legislation, IFPC President Blaine Conzatti said:
Many of us have seen the devastation caused by the wave of fentanyl flowing into Idaho, destroying families and poisoning our communities. This new law will send the message that fentanyl drug trafficking will no longer be tolerated in our state.
IFPC proudly supported this bill throughout the legislative process. In addition to lobbying and testifying, we mobilized Idaho voters to send House and Senate committee members more than 10,000 emails in support.
The cherry on top: Media outlets Idaho Press and Local News 8 quoted IFPC.
Another win for common sense in Idaho!
3. According to California state legislators, you don’t have to be a female to menstruate
Oh, California—what are we going to do with you?
It’s hard to believe we’re actually having this conversation, but here we are: California has introduced legislation that uses the word “person” instead of “female” when describing the need for easy access to menstrual products for the incarcerated, opening the door for taxpayer-funded menstrual products for gender-confused biological males.
Sophia Lorey of the California Family Council, our state partner, testified on the legislation. She said:
AB 1810 seems to be a positive bill at first glance. How can anyone be against making sure incarcerated women have better access to menstrual products? Yet, this bill replaces all mentions of ‘females’ and ‘women’ with the word ‘person’—ultimately erasing women and pushing an ideology that men can menstruate or men can give birth…
Oh, and if men menstruate, I’m intrigued… where does the tampon go?
Unfortunately, all Assembly Members on the Public Safety Committee voted yes, moving the bill forward. Pray for California, they need it.
4. Alabama Supreme Court makes a huge decision defending preborn lives
Did you know that millions of human embryos – that is, living human persons – have been made and intentionally destroyed in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process? And that there are currently over a million frozen embryos in our country that will be left in freezers indefinitely?
This week, the Supreme Court of Alabama recognized the humanity of preborn embryos, allowing parents to sue if their children are killed as a result of physician or clinic negligence during the IVF process.
This is a big win! A person is a person, no matter how small or young they are. It’s about time we treat all preborn life with the respect and dignity God wants.
