Several national companies are condemning Idaho’s restrictions on health care choices, saying the state’s laws are bad for both women and the bottom line.
In an amicus brief filed at the end of March, representatives for the companies said they supported a lawsuit challenging the state’s abortion bans, arguing Idaho’s strict abortion bans negatively impact the economy. The signatories include private businesses like Amalgamated Bank, Argent, KraveBeauty, Lyft, Bumble, Levi Strauss, OkCupid, Tinder and Yelp, as well as the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Majority.
The companies said the bans will result in maternity care deserts and that could impact where women choose to work and restrict their career development. They also wrote Idaho law will prevent businesses from providing an inclusive workplace, making it harder for them to recruit and retain female employees.
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the abortion lawsuit Idaho v. United States at the end of April. The high court will determine if Idaho’s bans conflict with federal mandates requiring ER doctors to treat patients until their medical emergency is stabilized, which can include abortion care.
The lawsuit says the bans put doctors in the position of choosing between acting in the best interest of patients or facing a felony.
“The hard truth is that Idaho’s attempt to carve out an exception to the federal guarantee of emergency medical care for pregnant women raises critical concerns for businesses across the country, especially those that are women-owned and operated,” said brief co-author Patrick Yingling in a press release.
This is the first time the Supreme Court will deliberate abortion access at the state level.
