A bill eligible for debate in the Iowa Senate Education Committee would require that public schools show students in all grades ultrasounds and computer-generated animation that explain pregnancy and fetal development.

A subcommittee hearing on the bill was held yesterday.  Amber Williams, a lobbyist for an Iowa organization called Inspired Life, said getting this kind of information when she was a student may have changed her decision to have an abortion at the age of 18.

“By passing this bill we can provide a compelling, science-based view of a baby’s development in the womb,” she said. “This type of education has the potential to profoundly impact how young people perceive life and the choices that they will face.”

Similar bills that stalled in the legislature last year specified the “Meet Baby Olivia” video produced by an anti-abortion group would have to be shown to students, starting in 7th grade. There’s no reference to that video in this year’s bill and the legislation no longer says what’s presented to students should be based on research by medical organizations like the American College of OB/GYNs. Johnston High School student Genevieve Weis asked legislators to reject the bill.

“When students are given false information, it leads to confusion and hinders the understanding of important concepts,” she said during the subcommittee hearing. “This not only affects their academics, but their ability to make informed decisions about their future.”

Bill backers say the legislation requires students be presented with “research-based,” “unbiased” information that “depicts the humanity of the unborn child.” A lobbyist for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa said it’s a “politically motivated” bill that’s meant to “influence the trajectory of young Iowans’ lives.”

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