By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
The Idaho House of Representatives passed a bill on Monday that would repeal the few public services available to families of undocumented immigrants, such as food assistance and prenatal care.
House Bill 135 passed the House in a 46-22 vote and heads to the Senate.
Undocumented people are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare in Idaho. However, all low-income people are eligible for specific 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.
Some food pantries could still provide food to undocumented immigrant families, as long as it did not accept any state funding for the program.
“This is simply fiscal responsibility and putting Idaho citizens first,” said sponsor Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d’Alene.
Redman said children would be eligible for food assistance if they were born in the United States, making them citizens. But multiple legislators questioned that assertion because SNAP benefits are awarded to the entire family based on income, not just to the child.
Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, argued that the focus of the bill was not adult undocumented immigrants.
“It is about babies and fetuses and children,” Rubel said. “It is about people who were brought here by their parents by no choice of their own and have no way to leave on their own volition.”
Rep. Jack Nelsen, R-Jerome, pointed out that some parts of the country are in middle of a measles outbreak. Regardless of how a person feels about a vaccine, Nelsen said, he believed offering vaccines would be cheaper than having children in ICU with the measles.
“Most people in this room believe in pro-life,” said Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls. “Life begins at conception, and you’re going to deny prenatal care to someone who was conceived in the United States?”
His district mate took a different stance.
“Our citizens should be our number one priority,” said Rep. David Leavitt, R-Twin Falls.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
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.