Alabama weighs in on DOJ abortion lawsuit in Idaho

Alabama is among sixteen other states who want to be heard over a DOJ lawsuit against Idaho over its strict abortion ban. The Justice Department sued the Republican-led state of Idaho over that state’s abortion ban set to take effect this Thursday. DOJ says the measure violates a federal law requiring Medicaid-funded hospitals to provide “stabilizing treatment” to patients experiencing medical emergencies. The White House told hospitals that Medicaid requires them to provide abortion services if the life of the pregnant person is at risk. Alabama was joined by Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming in a request to weigh in on the lawsuit. They say, jointly, Washington does not have the power to preempt state law. Hospitals, they contend, can get around the requirement by turning down federal money.