Idaho has become the first state to pass a law explicitly restricting some out-of-state travel for abortions, making it punishable by two to five years in prison to help a pregnant minor get an abortion. This is seen as a way for red states to limit access to abortion for minors, and is likely to face legal challenges as a violation of the right to privacy and a restriction on the right to travel.
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Idaho Governor Brad Little has signed a bill into law making it a felony crime for adults to help minors travel to other states for abortion care without parental consent. The law creates a new crime called "abortion trafficking" with a minimum sentence of two years in state prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The bill has been met with criticism from pro-choice advocates, while proponents argue it is necessary to protect minors from making decisions with long-term consequences.
Idaho Governor Brad Little has signed a bill into law that criminalizes gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, including puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and gender-affirming surgeries. Opponents argue that the bill is an unnecessary and harmful restriction on the rights of transgender minors, while supporters argue that it is necessary to protect minors from making irreversible decisions about their health and wellbeing. The bill is set to go into effect on July 1, 2021, making Idaho the twelfth state to ban or restrict transition-related care for minors.
Idaho has become the latest state to turn to older methods of capital punishment due to a nationwide shortage of lethal-injection drugs, with Republican Governor Brad Little signing a bill allowing execution by firing squad. Pharmaceutical companies have largely barred executioners from using their drugs, prompting other states in recent years to revive older methods of execution. One Idaho death row inmate has already had his execution postponed multiple times due to the drug scarcity, and the new law is expected to take effect on July 1, 2020.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has signed a bill into law that prohibits transgender students from using restrooms that do not align with the sex listed on their birth certificate. The bill applies to pre-K through 12th grade public and charter schools, and those who do not comply with the law can be fined a minimum of $1,000. This is part of a larger trend of GOP-led legislative efforts to restrict LGBTQ rights in schools, and the bill has been met with criticism from LGBTQ rights groups.
Lori Vallow Daybell, known as the "Doomsday Mom," will not face the death penalty if convicted of murder in the deaths of her two children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. Attorneys for Vallow filed a motion earlier this month citing media saturation, multiple discovery violations by the government, Vallow’s mental status and other factors. The judge's ruling today means that if Vallow is convicted of murder, she will not face the death penalty and the trial is expected to begin in August 2021.
Judge Steven Boyce has ruled that Lori Vallow Daybell, charged with conspiracy and murder in connection with the deaths of her two children and her new husband's late wife, will not face the death penalty. Vallow and Daybell have pleaded not guilty to the charges and the trial is set to begin in April. The case has garnered national attention due to the mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths and the investigation has spanned multiple states.
Pennsylvania State Police have seized a variety of items from the home of Bryan Kohberger, the graduate student charged with the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students. A buccal swab DNA test was also authorized, and the search warrant return did not specify whom the gloves belonged to. The search of Kohberger's parents' home in Albrightsville was conducted on December 30th, 2020, and Kohberger is currently being held in the Kootenai County Jail in Idaho, facing four counts of first-degree murder and four counts of aggravated battery.