Opinion: This election is about choice

By Rita Hart, Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party

Friday’s Iowa Supreme Court decision to uphold and implement Governor Kim Reynold’s and Iowa Republican’s 6-week abortion ban is one of many ways Iowa Republicans are trying to control women’s bodies and how they build their families.

Just last week, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Republicans from across the state gathered to protest abortion and IVF rights at the Iowa State Capitol.

They listened and clapped as Bishop William Joensen said, “The desire for a child cannot justify the production of offspring.”

To be clear, Republicans are telling us what they want to do next. They want to ban IVF in Iowa, and they have already introduced legislation at the statehouse that will ban IVF procedures.

Republicans want to control who can have a child in this state and determine how and when it is conceived. Governor Reynolds is leading this fight, because she believes she has complete control over Iowa’s government.

At the same time last week, as we approached the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision, which stripped Americans of their nearly 50-year-old federal right to an abortion, Democrats were fighting for Iowans’ rights and calling our Republicans on their extreme policies.

Senate Democratic Leader Pam Jochum was on Iowa Press, where she explained that Iowa Democrats have introduced legislation at the statehouse that calls for a constitutional amendment to make sure reproductive freedom is a constitutional right in Iowa.

Jochum and Iowa Democrats also introduced legislation to protect over-the-counter birth control and postpartum care for mothers up to 12 months after they give birth.

At the Iowa Democrats’ State Convention last week, House Leader Jennifer Konfrst made the news when she declared Republicans are wrong on reproductive freedom.

“They’re wrong, and Iowans aren’t with them,” Konfrst said. “Iowans are with us.”

Iowa Democrats will stand with Iowans and put people before politics as we oppose this dangerous anti-woman crusade that Republicans are leading.

We have already seen devastating consequences from similar legislation in Texas, where women are being forced to have miscarriages in lobby bathrooms, and are potentially facing the death penalty for having an abortion for any reason.

We’ve seen devastated families in Alabama fight for their ability to start and grow their families using IVF.

We know abortion bans put every woman’s health in jeopardy because these confusing laws drive away OBGYNs and doctors who care for women of all ages. These conscientious professionals don’t want to lose their licenses because of this state’s confusing and bad policies.

Abortion bans are bad for Iowans and are dangerous for women and for anyone who is trying to start a family.

This is what is at stake in November. If you will join me in standing up to Iowa Republicans and their extreme laws, please visit IowaDemocrats.org/PlanYourVote and make your plan to vote in November’s election.

We truly need everyone to show up at the ballot box if we want to bring some common sense back to our state and put an end to these extreme laws.