It’s making a comeback.
Representative John Gannon plans to continue working on a bill that would remove legal protections for parents who choose faith healing over medical treatments in cases where a child is injured or dying. In 2014, he wrote a similar bill but was unable to get a hearing on it.
(Representative John Gannon)
Senator Lee Heider, Chairman of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, says he has not heard about Rep. Gannon’s proposal, but he has heard about a different one, that would change an Idaho code that says faith healing parents can’t be prosecuted. “The proposal that came to me was that we would be able to prosecute if the child dies as a result of that,” Senator Heider told us. He also says, “I have six children and 27 grandchildren and if one of them dies I can’t imagine a law enforcement officer coming to me and saying ‘well we’re now going to put you in jail because your son or your daughter died’. You know talk about the ultimate sorrow and the ultimate slap in the face.”
(Senator Lee Heider)
Senator Heider says he would also be happy to hear a bill like this in his committee. We have reached out to Representative Gannon for comment on his proposal and have yet to hear back.
