Planned Parenthood calls on House Speaker to condemn Barbieri’s ‘nuked off State Street’ remark
Open letter to Idaho House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley:
Recently, Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, made hostile and threatening remarks about Planned Parenthood. To a well-attended town hall of constituents, he said, “I don’t know why Planned Parenthood hasn’t been nuked off State Street…’’ We demand you publicly denounce Rep. Barbieri’s action for this reprehensible language.
I am urging you to take action for me — a doctor — my patients, staff, health care providers and all medical professionals who should not feel threatened at work in Idaho or anywhere else. We are living in a time with heightened partisanship and anti-abortion sentiment, and the statements made by Rep. Barbieri cannot be taken lightly. Regardless of your stance on abortion, we can all agree that incendiary and violent remarks about Idahoans dangerously cross a line.
Nearly one in four women in America will have an abortion by the age of 45, and Planned Parenthood knows that every individual’s personal decision about their pregnancy should be made without political interference. This health care should be respected and valued, not met with anti-abortion rhetoric and inflammatory remarks.
While no public action has been taken to date for Rep. Barbieri’s behavior, the House is moving ahead with HB 525, a bill directly targeting Planned Parenthood and abortion providers in the state. HB 525, of which Rep. Barbieri sits on the committee reviewing this bill, will completely strip all public funding from any entity that provides abortion services in Idaho — even if the services have nothing to do with abortion. This move would only devastate the life-saving care we provide through cancer screenings, birth control and preventive health services, and in turn harm Idahoans.
Speaker Bedke, it is incumbent upon you to publicly disavow Rep. Barbieri’s comments.
We have seen an alarming increase in hateful rhetoric and smear campaigns against abortion providers and patients over the past few years, and recent history has shown that environment breeds acts of violence. Rep. Barbieri is contributing to that climate.
We look forward to your response.
This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 12:00 AM.