Des Moines, Iowa — New abortion restrictions will soon be law in Iowa. The Iowa Senate has given final legislative approval to a bill banning nearly all abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy, and Governor Branstad has signaled he’ll sign the bill.
Republican Senator Mark Costello of Imogene made a final pitch before senators voted on the measure.
The bill also requires women seeking an abortion to wait three days before the procedure is performed. Senator Mark Chelgren, a Republican from Ottumwa, calls that the “time share clause” in the bill.
Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, says that three-day waiting period is an “insult” to women.
Senator Rick Bertrand, a Republican from Sioux City, voted for the bill, but expressed outrage that his fellow Republicans were not pursuing an outright ban on nearly ALL abortions.
Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, says the bill is a “concerning” development in the legislature’s “ping pong” debate over abortion.
Republican legislators also intend to “defund” Planned Parenthood. In February, the Republican-led senate voted to forbid Iowa Medicaid patients from getting exams or contraceptives at facilities or from doctors who perform abortion. House Republicans are tacking a similar proposal onto a budget bill.
