By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
The House Health and Welfare Committee on Tuesday advanced a bill that would eliminate services such as prenatal care and food support for undocumented people in Idaho.
The committee voted 10-5 to pass House Bill 135, sponsored by Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d’Alene.
Undocumented people are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare in Idaho. However, all low-income people are eligible for medical care such as crisis counseling, prenatal care, postnatal care, immunizations and public health treatment of communicable diseases.
The bill would exclude people from receiving those services without verification of legal residence. It does leave a provision for treatment “of an emergency medical condition.”
The bill also eliminates access to some short-term shelter, and food assistance programs such as SNAP, as well as soup kitchens and food pantry programs that accept state funds. Food assistance is currently available to qualifying families with children.
Redman said he sees the bill as a deterrent, incentivizing people without legal status to leave Idaho because neighboring states offer these programs to undocumented people.
Rep. Megan Egbert, D-Boise, asked Redman what happens if an undocumented immigrant went to an emergency room for a non-emergency illness.
In that case, Redman said, the hospital would likely treat the person but the state would not pay for it.
Several legislators argued that undocumented immigrants do pay income tax.
“I don’t know that we should be sending taxpayer funds to pay for welfare benefits to pay for people who have already broken the law to be here,” Redman said.
President and CEO Randy Ford of the Idaho Foodbank testified against the bill. He said he believes charitable food banks cannot replace the government-funded food programs, as only 5% of the Idaho Foodbank’s food comes from government programs while most is from charitable donations.
“What we do see is an increase in food insecurity has detrimental effects, especially with children,” Ford said. “So, as you cut away at some benefits children would have, it puts more strain on what we do, churches do and other partners across the state.”
House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, made a substitute motion to hold the bill in committee. She took issue with the bill not having any exemptions for children of undocumented parents who were born in the U.S., making them American citizens.
Additionally, she argued that prenatal care being eliminated takes away services from a potential future U.S. citizen who needs care in utero.
“If we take that care we are potentially dooming a future U.S. citizen,” Rubel said. “…Frankly both the fetus and baby didn’t choose to be here.”
She also took issue with removing care for people with contagious diseases.
“A person with a contagious disease is going to give to other people in the community, likely American citizens in the community,” Rubel said.
Reps. Lori McCann, R-Lewiston; Josh Wheeler, R-Ammon; and Ben Fuhriman, R-Shelley, sided with the two Democrats on the committee in opposing the legislation.
The bill now heads to the full House of Representatives for a vote.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.