The leader of the effort to successfully remove three Iowa Supreme Court justices from the bench says he is confident Iowa’s governor-elect and state lawmakers will move to block a Nebraska doctor from opening a late-term abortion clinic in Council Bluffs. Bob Vander Plaats lost the Republican primary for governor, and then lead the campaign to remove the three justices who voted in favor of the decision that overturned Iowa’s law making marriage between one man and one woman.
Vander Plaats now is the C-E-O of the group called “The Family Leader.” He was asked Tuesday about whether governor-elect Branstad should be aware of the plans of Dr. LeRoy Carhart to open the abortion clinic. Vander Plaats said he wouldn’t comment on what the governor-elect should or shouldn’t be aware of, as there are a lot of things to be aware of as the governor-elect. He says if Branstad is not aware of the issue, his group will make him aware.
Vander Plaats says he has confidence in Branstad’s stance on the issue. “I believe governor-elect Branstad is fully committed to the sanctity of human life,” Vander Plaats said. And he says he believes the same about the House speaker-elect and the house majority leader.
Vander Plaats says he expects lawmakers to move to block Carhart. “I think they will beef up our legislation to prevent such a thing from happening in the state of Iowa,” Vander Plaats said. Vander Plaats made his comments Tuesday during a news conference where he said he applauds Branstad for his position on selecting new supreme court justices.