The Alturas Institute has announced that it will present the John and Abigail Adams Award to Frank and Belinda VanderSloot for their creation of a consumer protection fund to defend Idahoans from excessive attorney fees in medical debt collection cases. The couple will be honored at a dinner on Feb. 1 at the Hilton Garden Inn.

The VanderSloots created the legal defense fund — Idaho Medical Debt — on April 25, 2019, and to date have contributed $1 million to represent some 140 citizens embroiled in debt collection cases. In addition, the VanderSloots have proposed legislative reform in the area of medical debt collections.

The John and Abigail Adams Award reflects the mission of The Alturas Institute to promote equal protection of the law. “The principle of equal protection of the law rests on the assurance of legal counsel and access to justice,” said Dr. David Adler, president of the Alturas Institute. “The VanderSloots’s creation, and generous funding, of the defense fund provides legal counsel for many Idahoans who could not otherwise afford legal representation, which would deny them access to justice. Through this program, the VanderSloots are extending the time-honored and hallowed American principle, bolstered by John Adams’ defense of Tories during the American Revolution, of providing legal counsel and access to justice.”

The VanderSloots will be honored on Feb. 1 at a dinner in The Hilton Garden Inn. A reception begins at 6 p.m. followed by the dinner and program. The program will feature two special guest speakers: The Honorable Ryan D. Nelson, U.S. Circuit Court Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Bart M. Davis, the United States Attorney for the District of Idaho. Tickets to the event are $45 and are on sale at the Alturas Institute website, www.alturasinstitute.com. Seating is limited.

The Alturas Institute is a non-partisan, non-profit organization created to advance American Democracy by promoting the Constitution, civic education, equal protection of the law and gender equality. For information or questions, contact Dr. David Adler at 208-313-6554.