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It’s really hard not to talk about the circus that is Florida — that theme park of sketchy carnival barkers dressed up like clowns & mascots. No, I’m not talking about Disney World. I’m talking about the Florida Legislature that wants to create a theocracy where the only ones allowed on the rides are straight, white, Christian men. Alas, even we curious & informed readers need a break from the rollercoaster at our southern hangnail, so, let’s talk about the Florida of the North: Idaho. So join me on a journey to the place I like to call, Floridaho — where I have no doubt a new Orange Potato, not the Sweet Potato, will soon be hailed as the new state mascot. You heard it here first: the Trumpotato, coming soon to a table near you.
🥔So, let’s ketchup on some Idaho Spuds. Here are the nuggets …
🪪Idaho Republicans recently passed a new voter suppression bill (HB124) banning the use of student IDs to vote. Why? Because young voters have been surging to the polls with a huge 66% increase in registration over the last 4 years, according to The Idaho Capital Sun. Don’t fret though, the legislature doesn’t waffle cut their fries when it comes to guns. Student IDs can still be used to purchase guns. No surprise that the GOP-controlled Idaho House of Reps voted along party lines under the ever-used, still-untrue guise that student IDs are used to commit voter fraud, even though there is no proof, anywhere in Idaho, or the United States of America, that said voter fraud has ever taken place. HB124 was signed into law on March 15th by Gov. Brad Little and will go into effect January 2024.
🔫🆔Fun Fact: In Texas, student IDs are not valid forms of voter identification, but gun permits are! Yeehaw, America. Yeefuckinghaw.
🚦Earlier in April, Governor Little Brad signed House Bill 242 into law — an extreme bill dubbed the new “abortion trafficking” law. AP News reports it “is the first of its kind in the U.S” making it illegal to help a minor leave the state for abortion-related services without parental consent. Mistie DelliCarpini-Tolman, Idaho State Director for Planned Parenthood Alliance, says the legislation violates the rights of minors: “The majority of young people facing an unexpected pregnancy do involve their parents in their decision-making. But for young children living in abusive households, disclosing sexual activity or pregnancy can trigger physical or emotional abuse, including direct physical or sexual violence, or being thrown out of the home.” Idaho the Land of Forced Birth! Ore Ida!
🚪It’s not all rainbows & babies in Idaho though. Because of its extreme abortion laws, OBGYN’s are slamming the door shut on the state. A survey conducted by the Idaho Coalition for Safe Reproductive Health Care showed 48% of OBGYN physicians are currently considering getting the F out. Further, and flabbergastingly, Jessica Valenti reports: “We’ve already seen several Idaho hospitals shut down their maternity wards because of the state’s abortion ban and the resulting OBGYN exodus—all of which will lead to increased maternal mortality rates. That’s why this next bit of news is so confounding: Idaho lawmakers ended the state’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee.”
🔙 Oh, one last thing to keep an eye on in Floridaho: The Idaho Capital Sun, doing all it can to keep up with the legislative antics, reports that, “With little debate or vetting, the Idaho Legislature overwhelmingly passed House Bill 138” which intended to move their presidential primary from March to May, but, because of poor bill writing, they have deleted the primary altogether! So, maybe while they’re having fun correcting that mistake, they’ll stop attacking trans kids and birthing people. Who knows, maybe they really meant to eliminate elections altogether.
🤞🏽Well, those aren’t small potatoes are they. Keep your fries criss-crossed that the endless attack on our rights gets tossed out with the grease trap.
Dc Lozano, Director of Snarky & Hopeful Content
