10:49 AM MDT on Thursday, October 6, 2005

Associated Press

COEUR D'ALENE -- A Kootenai County clerk has started a new anti-abortion group for Idaho Democrats.

Dan English recently organized a chapter of Democrats for Life.

The organization has chapters in all but about nine states.

English says the group is for people within the Democratic Party who oppose abortion, capital punishment and euthanasia.

He says abortion is an issue that alienates people from the Democratic P arty and that his group may make them feel comfortable as Democrats.

But representatives for the state Democratic Party and Kootenai County Republicans say the group will not likely cause many people to become Democrats.

The group supports the 95-ten Initiative, which has a goal of reducing abortion by 95 percent in the next ten years.

English says that means providing more support to adoption services, counseling and contraception.