An Iowa House Committee has voted to create a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion in the state. The bill would force abortion providers to give women seeking an abortion state-sanctioned pamphlets outlining the dangers of abortion, the process of adoption and how to raise a child. Representative Betty De Boef, a republican from New Sharon, supports the waiting period for women seeking an abortion. She says it’s wise for a woman to have all the information about the procedure and to have time to think about the decision.In 1973, De Boef was unhappy about a pregnancy, and she says sheprobably would have gotten a quick abortion had she lived in a city. She says that young women could do something in the spur of the moment that they would regret the rest of their lives.Representative Betty Grundberg, a republican from West Des Moines, says the bill’s a slap in the face of women. She says it is unfair to the women in the state that they do not trust them to make their own medical decisions.Grundberg says there’s no such thing as a walk-in abortion. She says its a “tremendously difficult decision” that women spend time on and consult with others about.Governor Tom Vilsack vetoed a similar law last year. Representative Dan Boddicker, a republican from Tipton, says this year’s bill puts a bit more emphasis on adoption, hoping the Governor, who was adopted himself, will change his mind. The bill’s next stop is before the 100-member House.
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