Idaho Sen. Dan Foreman has been caught on video disrespecting his constituents yet again, this time angrily saying “abortion is murder” to supporters of women’s reproductive rights who weren’t even trying to discuss the specific issue of abortion with the senator at the time.
A group of students from the University of Idaho traveled 300 miles for a pre-arranged meeting at Foreman’s office in Boise to advocate in favor of two bills that would improve sex education on college campuses and provide 12-month birth control prescriptions to women.
The meeting had been scheduled for Monday, but the senator abruptly canceled before it was set to take place.
Later, when he passed the students in the halls of the Capitol, he was taped getting into a confrontation with the group. “You want to talk about disrespectful and rude?” he said. “I should play back that conversation for you — accusing me of being a liar, accusing me of not honoring my commitment to be in a meeting. Abortion is murder. I stand against it. I am a Roman Catholic, I’m a conservative Republican, I think what you guys do stinks.”
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
In response to a student telling Foreman that his views were his choice, the senator said, “You’re damn right it’s my choice, so stay out of my office.”
Democratic Idaho Sen. Maryanne Jordan later filed an ethics complaint against Foreman after an unverified Twitter account claiming to represent the Republican told the students to discuss “killing babies” with her. The account subsequently posted a message saying it was not affiliated with Foreman and was then deactivated.
In response, Jordan said, “It’s one thing to disagree with policy, it’s another thing to position something like that against another lawmaker. This type of behavior is beneath the Idaho Senate.â€
Last September, Foreman was recorded arguing with a man and calling him a “liberal nut-tard” at the Latah County Fair.
