Nearly One-Third of House Republicans Have Already Signed Onto the Legislation
Des Moines, IA—Twenty Iowa House Republicans introduced a total abortion ban today that penalizes doctors and anyone who aids and abets someone seeking an abortion. The measure also would require Internet providers to block Iowans’ access to websites related to abortion care.
The total abortion ban and censorship bill, HF510, additionally allows Iowans to sue their neighbors for aiding and abetting and providing abortion care. It also blocks any medical provider who provides abortion care from being a federal Medicaid provider and prohibits government contractors and subcontractors from providing abortion care as an employee benefit, including by providing time off work or financial resources.
“For now, abortion remains safe and legal in Iowa,” said Mazie Stilwell, Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa. “But this total abortion ban is far-reaching. It is dangerous, and it takes many rights away from Iowans-including the right to an abortion. It even takes away access to medically accurate information about abortion. Iowans deserve better. Regardless of how each individual feels about abortion, Iowans agree that abortion decisions should be left to a patient and their doctor, not politicians and judges. And politicians should not be censoring information about health care. This bill goes so far, we can’t even see where it would end. ”
The total abortion ban comes after lawmakers who want to outlaw abortion in Iowa introduced a ban on medication abortion, which accounts for nearly 80 percent of abortions in the state.
As they work to take away Iowans fundamental right to bodily autonomy, these same lawmakers are pushing bills through the Iowa House and Senate to quadruple taxpayer funding for anti-abortion centers that push false, religiously-laced propaganda on people to dissuade them from having an abortion. Republicans are selling these fake clinics, commonly called “crisis pregnancy centers”, as legitimate alternatives to abortion care, even though they usually do not have medical providers on staff and are not regulated by the state.
Republican lawmakers introduced the total abortion ban despite promises prior to legislative session not to pursue further abortion restrictions until the Iowa Supreme Court rules on Gov. Kim Reynolds’ request to resurrect a law that bans abortion at about six weeks of pregnancy. That ruling is expected later this year.
###
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa (PPAI) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a mission of fostering and preserving a social and political climate favorable to reproductive health. To meet this mission, PPAI engages in lobbying, issues education, and supporter mobilization.
Tags: