SEATTLE — U.S. Senator Patty Murray invited a former Idaho woman to the State of the Union to highlight the preservation of life-saving reproductive healthcare across the country.
Murry's guest, Kayla Smith, who lived in Nampa, Idaho in 2022, learned at 19 weeks pregnant that her baby had fatal fetal anomalies, including an inoperable heart condition, according to Murry's office.
Knowing that their baby was highly unlikely to survive, Smith and her husband, who were also worried about her health, traveled to Seattle to get an early induction of labor, an action barred in Idaho due to the state's abortion ban.
Smith and her family moved to Washington state in 2023.
“When I was 18 weeks pregnant with my second child, the anatomy scan revealed our son Brooks had several fatal fetal anomalies. With Roe overturned and Idaho’s trigger law going into effect just days before finding out about our son’s condition, we were forced to seek help outside of Idaho,” said Smith. "I am honored to have been given the opportunity to sit alongside Senator Murray at the State of the Union address and continue to share not only my story but the story of so many other women."
Murray said Smith's bravery to come forward and speak about her story is inspiring, and she invited her to attend the State of the Union Address Thursday night.
"Since the Dobbs decision, Washington’s status as a safe harbor state where abortion is legal and protected has meant our state has absorbed a major uptick in out-of-state patients forced to travel for abortion care—patients like Kayla," said Murray. "They [President Biden and Vice President Harris] understand that women must be able to make decisions about their pregnancies without Republican politicians getting in the way. That is a message I look forward to hearing from President Biden at this year’s State of the Union Address."
Smith is a plaintiff in the Adkins v. State of Idaho case challenging Idaho’s abortion ban, which was filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights in September 2023.