Legislators approve conception resolution

By Associated Press and staff reports

BOISE - Idaho lawmakers are urging the federal government to back off a directive making contraception coverage mandatory by insurance companies, saying it violates moral and religious freedoms.

The House State Affairs Committee voted 11-3 Tuesday to pass a nonbinding resolution calling on President Barack Obama and Congress to reject the federal Health and Human Services rule requiring coverage of preventive services, including contraception and sterilization.

North Idaho legislators joined in support of the resolution - Senate Joint Memorial 104.

"I don't think that's something employers should have to provide if they're morally against it," Sen. John Goedde said.

The Coeur d'Alene Republican said the resolution will go before the House floor, where he expects it to pass before it's sent to Washington expressing Idaho's stance on the federal mandate.

In Congress, Republican lawmakers unsuccessfully pushed for an amendment last month to allow for religious exemptions, but Idaho Republicans passed this symbolic measure to keep the issue alive.

Cottonwood Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll sponsored the measure and says leaders of many faiths have opposed the federal rule.

ACLU executive director Monica Hopkins spoke in opposition, saying allowing insurance companies to deny contraception amounts to sex discrimination.

And as far as what power the measure would provide isn't set in stone.

Goedde called it "flags you raise in the air and wave around."

"I don't know if it has any more power than that," he said.

But Sen. Steve Vick said the mandate was directed at Congress, which is already divided on the federal issue.

"It appears to me President Obama wants to do this and he doesn't really care what we think," the Dalton Gardens Republican said. "But I think there is a significant resistance in Congress and that's who were trying to get."