Iowa Bill Would Ban Abortions, Affirm Life Begins at Conception

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Feb 13, 2023   |   10:02AM   |   Des Moines, Iowa

A new bill in the Iowa legislature would ban abortions and affirm that human life begins at conception.

Iowa state Rep. Luana Stoltenberg is behind the measure that could make Iowa the next state to ban abortions and protect the lives of women and unborn children. She said abortion is not a good option for Iowa women because is destroys the life of their baby and can kill or injure women as well.

“My prayer is that Iowa will pass a life at conception bill to protect our most vulnerable and defenseless citizens, and our women and children,” Stoltenberg said.

Leading pro-life groups would support the measure, which could be needed depending on how the state Supreme Court rules on the heartbeat abortion ban. That law would ban abortions when the baby’s heartbeat can be detected but wouldn’t protect unborn children before 6 weeks.

Maggie DeWitte, who heads the Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders, announced the effort Monday at a Prayer for Life anti-abortion rally at the Statehouse. She said while they’re waiting for a court decision on Iowa’s “fetal heartbeat” law, anti-abortion groups believe it’s the right time to start pushing for more restrictions.

“Even if we win the appeal and get heartbeat, the pro-life community and Iowans are not going to stop at heartbeat,” DeWitte said. “We’re not going to stop until we’ve eliminated abortion, which means a life at conception bill.”

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The Iowa Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments in the case in April, and would likely issue a ruling by the end of June.

That ruling could reinstate the “fetal heartbeat” law, and it could expand lawmakers’ ability to further restrict abortion. Republican leaders in the Iowa Legislature have said they want to wait for that ruling before taking action.

Governor Kim Reynolds would sign a bill to ban abortions at conception and want’s the state’s highest court to uphold the heartbeat law.

“As we enter a post-Roe world, it’s up to us to show what it means to be a pro-life state,” Reynolds said. “It’s up to us to not just dismantle abortion’s culture of death, but to build a culture of life.”

She touted her proposals to increase funding for anti-abortion pregnancy resource centers and to create grants to promote fathers’ involvement in parenting.

Iowa is one of eight states that are fighting in court to enforce laws that protect unborn babies from abortions. Currently, 14 others are enforcing pro-life laws that prohibit or strictly limit the killing of unborn babies in abortions. SBA Pro-Life America estimates these state laws are saving more than 125,000 unborn babies’ lives.

For nearly 50 years under Roe, abortions destroyed more than 64 million unborn babies in abortions. Only now that Roe has been overturned may states again protect the right to life for all human beings, born and unborn.

Two new polls show growing public support for legal protections for unborn babies. A Marist College poll found 69 percent of Americans support limiting or banning abortions, up from 62 percent in June. Another new poll from UMass Amherst found a 5-percent drop in those who say Congress should pass a law to make abortions legal nation-wide and a 6-percent increase in support for a national abortion ban, WCVB News reports.

ACTION ALERT: Tell members of the Iowa legislature you support the abortion ban.