The full Iowa Senate will have an opportunity to vote on SF 2, a bill that would reallocate taxpayer money from abortion providers to federally qualified health centers and other organizations that do not provide abortions. Tuesday afternoon the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 8 to 5 along party lines to recommend the bill.
The bill passed out of a subcommittee last week comprised of State Senators Amy Sinclair (R-Allerton), Janet Petersen (D-Des Moines) and Jason Schultz (R-Schleswig) were the members assigned to the subcommittee.
Sinclair is the sponsor of the bill and she will be the floor manager when it is debated on the Senate floor. The bill was also co-sponsored by all of the members of the Senate Republican caucus. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has indicated he would sign such a bill, and Iowa House Republicans are expected to pass the bill should it make it out of the Senate.
The bill reads, “Distribution of family planning services program funds shall not be made to any entity that performs abortions or that maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed.”
Additionally the bill also says, “Family planning services program funds distributed in accordance with this section shall not be used for direct or indirect costs, including but not limited to administrative costs or expenses, overhead, employee salaries, rent, and telephone and other utility costs, related to providing abortions as specified in subsection 4.”
Voting for the bill in committee were Sinclair and Schultz along with State Senators Brad Zaun (R-Urbandale), Dan Dawson (R-Council Bluffs), Jeff Elder (R-State Center), Julian Garrett (R-Indianola), Charles Schneider (R-West Des Moines), and Tom Shipley (R-Nodaway).
State Senators Rich Taylor (D-Mt. Pleasant), Tony Bisignano (D-Des Moines), Nate Boulton (D-Des Moines), Kevin Kinney (D-Oxford), and Janet Petersen (D-Des Moines) voted against SF2.
SF 2 is one of several pro-life bills to be considered by the Iowa Legislature this session.
One Iowa, Iowa Community Action Association, the Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church, Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance, Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, League of Women Voters of Iowa, AFSCME Council 61, ACLU of Iowa, Family Planning Council of Iowa, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Iowa Interfaith Alliance, and Planned Parenthood of the Heartland have registered their opposition to the bill.
Registered in support of the bill are The FAMiLY Leader, Personhood Iowa, Iowa Right to Life Committee, and Iowa Catholic Conference.
