Judge blocks Idaho from enforcing sweeping abortion ban

A district court on Wednesday blocked a sweeping ban on abortions in Idaho, allowing hospitals in the state to provide reproductive care in case of a life threatening emergency.

The temporary block on Idaho’s abortion law, which was set to take effect on Thursday, comes after the Biden administration challenged parts of the ban that conflict with federal standards for emergency care.

“The Court is called upon to address a far more modest issue—whether Idaho’s criminal abortion statute conflicts with a small but important corner of federal legislation. It does,” District Judge B Lynn Winmill said in his ruling.