Des Moines, Iowa (RI) — A hearing at the Iowa Capitol today on a bill that would have banned abortions in Iowa has been cancelled.
24 Republicans in the Iowa House co-sponsored the bill that would have made it a crime for Iowa doctors to perform abortions.
Republican Representative Jon Dunwell, a pastor from Newton, was the bill’s lead sponsor.
Dunwell, who is not seeking reelection, says he’s disappointed, but he says the reality is there were not 51 “yes” votes from Republicans to pass the bill in the House.
That bill would make it illegal for out-of-state doctors to send abortion medication to Iowa women through the mail. If the bill becomes law, woman seeking medication-induced abortions would have to have an in-person visit with a doctor, and doctors who dispense abortion pills outside of a health care setting could be sued.
There’s a deadline this Friday for policy bills to clear a committee in the House or Senate or be sidelined for the year.
KIWA Staff Photo
