Republican lawmakers say they're waiting for an Iowa Supreme Court ruling before proposing any new abortion restrictions. House Speaker Pat Grassley says it would be unwise to consider legislation before the court acts. "I want the courts to give us the guidelines that we need to move forward … [Read more...]
District court upholds order blocking Iowa’s ‘fetal heartbeat’ law
A district court judge has ruled that a state law that would ban most abortions is still unconstitutional and the permanent injunction barring it from taking effect remains in place. In 2018, Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill to make most abortions illegal after a fetal heartbeat is detected. … [Read more...]
Reynolds and DeJear meet in only debate of 2022 campaign for governor
Republican Governor Kim Reynolds and Democratic challenger Deidre DeJear outlined diverging paths on taxes, abortion and carbon pipelines during their debate Monday night on Iowa PBS. Reynolds said eminent domain should be "a last resort" for pipelines that would ship carbon out of Iowa ethanol … [Read more...]
Axne scoffs at Nunn’s assertion abortion to be state issue
Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne says her Republican opponent and the GOP leader in the U.S. House are trying to avoid revealing their plans to pass abortion restrictions. Last week, House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy and third district candidate Zach Nunn said this summer's U.S. Supreme Court … [Read more...]
State’s lawyer asks Iowa’s top court to let abortion restriction take effect
An attorney representing the State of Iowa says the legal landscape surrounding access to abortion has changed and he's asking the Iowa Supreme Court to allow a ban on most abortions in Iowa to take effect. Four years ago, Governor Reynolds approved a bill to ban abortions after the sixth week of … [Read more...]
Hinson proposes sizable hike in federal child tax credit
Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion is proposing an increase in the federal child tax credit as part of a package she says will support women during and after their pregnancies with "concrete policy steps that will have meaningful impact on moms, babies and families." The 2021 … [Read more...]
Miller and Bird spar over AG office representation on abortion law challenges
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, a Democrat, says the U.S. Supreme Court "made a big mistake" in overturning Roe v Wade. Republican Brenna Bird says if she's elected attorney general, she'll be "on the frontlines" of defending new restrictions on abortion. "I'm 100% prolife and it would be my … [Read more...]
Democrats say Iowa vote on abortion rights would be similar to Kansas results
Iowa Democrats say this week's Kansas vote to uphold abortion rights shows the same could happen in Iowa. "This tells us that Americans and Midwesterners and, we know, Iowans believe in reproductive choice," House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst said, "and we should enshrine that right in … [Read more...]
Party-line split in Iowa delegation over contraceptives bill
Iowa's congressional delegation split their votes along party lines as Democrats in the U.S. House passed legislation that would ensure nationwide access to contraception. Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, said "people deserve the right to make decisions about when they … [Read more...]
Planned Parenthood employees in Iowa, four other states form a union
Employees who work at 28 Planned Parenthood clinics five states, including Iowa, have voted to form a union. According to the National Labor Relations Board, over 90% of workers who voted supported the move. Ashley Schmidt who works Planned Parenthood facilities in Nebraska and western Iowa spoke … [Read more...]