Religion and Roll Call Voting in Idaho: The 1990 Abortion Controversy

Stephanie L. Witt, Boise State University
Gary Moncrief, Boise State University

Abstract

This research note examines the Idaho state legislature's roll call vote on the controversial abortion bill known as H625, which would have strictly limited abortion access in Idaho. The analysis exammes the relative impact of personal and constituent characteristics on the vote of individual legislators on a nonroutine and salient issue. The results indicate that personal characteristics are strong predictors of the vote on this highly emotional issue, and point as well to the impact that highly organized and vocal religious groups can have on important legislative decisions.