Des Moines, Iowa — The Iowa House has voted to increase penalties for the death of an unborn person.
Current law provides penalties for causing a human pregnancy to end without consent. Democrats like Representative Beth Wessell-Kroschell of Ames say the change could make invitro fertilization illegal and they cited the recent Alabama supreme court ruling that embryos are children.
Representative Heather Matson of Ankeny says her two children are the result of fertility treatments.
Representative Skyler Wheeler, a Republican from Hull, says the bill raises the penalty for killing a mother and her unborn baby and has nothing to do with IVF.
Representative Zach Dieken of Granville says fetus is a Latin word and he prefers that English be used in Iowa law.
The bill passed with the support of 58 House Republicans. Two Republicans and 34 Democrats voted against the bill, which now goes to the Senate for consideration.
