by Logan Finney, Idaho Reports

The Idaho Republican Party is considering amending its anti-abortion platform to include destruction of embryos, a common practice connected to in vitro fertilization.

Latah County delegate Colton Bennett submitted the proposed platform change.

“We oppose all abortion,” the “Right to Life” section of platform currently reads. The amendment would replace the word abortion with “actions which intentionally end an innocent human life, including abortion, the destruction of human embryos, euthanasia, and assisted suicide.”

In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is a process in which eggs are fertilized in a laboratory to create an embryo that is then implanted in a woman’s uterus. Often, the process results in extra embryos which clinics can freeze for future use. Sometimes, clinics destroy unused frozen embryos.

The proposal comes during a nationwide conversation about IVF. Earlier this week, delegates at the  Southern Baptist Convention passed an IVF-related resolution that declares embryos are human life from the moment of fertilization, whether that fertilization happens in the womb or in a lab. And in February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children and have the same legal rights and protections.

The Idaho Republican Party considers platform amendments at its convention every two years. The platform is a list of priorities for the party and isn’t binding law. However, chairwoman Dorothy Moon told Idaho Reports on Thursday the party has seen more success in recent years getting its policy priorities through the Republican-dominated state legislature.

Bennett confirmed to Idaho Reports the platform committee passed the amendment. The full convention will consider it on Saturday.

Journalists were not allowed into the committee meetings or general session Thursday or Friday.

Melissa Davlin contributed to this report.

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