Supreme Court Seems Sympathetic to Idaho’s Claim Its Strict Abortion Ban Is Valid

The issue is whether a federal law against ‘patient dumping’ creates a backdoor exception to the state’s strict abortion law.

Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador speaks outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on April 24, 2024. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Most Supreme Court justices seemed inclined to accept Idaho’s argument on April 24 that the state’s strict abortion law does not conflict with a federal law that prevents hospitals from refusing to treat indigent emergency room patients.

At the same time, liberal justices vigorously questioned whether the Idaho law is putting women in danger.