Measure Defunding Abortion Providers Advances in the Iowa Senate

(Des Moines, IA) Senate File 2 passed out of its assigned subcommittee on Tuesday marking the first step towards the Iowa Senate voting to reallocate taxpayer funding for organizations that do not provide abortion. This bill is one of several pro-life pieces of legislation filed in the Iowa Senate.

This bill has the backing of the entire Republican caucus, House Republicans and Iowa Governor Terry Branstad. 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. The bill will go back to the Senate Judiciary Committee for a full committee vote.

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.”

Jenifer Bowen, spokesperson for Iowa Right to Life, encourages supporters to contact their State Senator.

“We believe this sends a powerful message that Iowans and their government do not support taxpayer funding of abortion providers while simultaneously providing increased access to healthcare and family planning services by funding many more federally qualified health clinics, county and local clinics, and other providers.,” Bowen said in an email sent on Tuesday afternoon.

Rachel Owen, Executive Director of Informed Choices of Iowa, spoke on behalf of medical health care clinics in Iowa that offer all reproductive and sexual health care services for free to men and women. “We are a medical facility which is privately funded and receives no government assistance, but offer all our services for free.”

Informed Choices provides STD testing and treatment, sexual health education with a registered nurse or nurse practitioner, and early prenatal diagnosis. “There are 20 other organizations in the state of Iowa that also offer these services free from government funding,” Owen continued

Suzanna de Baca, President of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, went on defense saying that without their services Iowans will see “increased teen pregnancy and an outbreak of HIV.”

HT: Iowans for Life for Owen’s quote.