Iowa v. Pro-choice Laws
NARAL Pro-choice America
NARAL Pro-choice America Foundation gives Iowa a “C” when
it comes to laws that enable a woman’s right to control her own body,
with only 5 percent of Iowa counties actually providing abortion
facilites.
Why the “C,” you ask? Here’s a round-up of Iowans and Iowa laws pertaining to choice.
Who’s Who in Iowa Choice
Pro-choice Iowans include Gov. Tom Vilsack (D), Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson (D), and the Iowa Democratic Party.
Mixed-choice Iowans include Attorney General Tom Miller (D) and the Iowa Senate.
Anti-choice Iowans include the Iowa House and the Iowa Republican Party. (Source)
Now that we’ve got the lay of the land, so to speak, let’s take a look at some important choice-related Iowa laws.
Unconstitutional Abortion Ban
Iowa has
an unconstitutional and unenforceable criminal ban on abortions
performed as early as 12 weeks. A court held that Iowa's ban is
unconstitutional because it imposes an undue burden on women seeking
abortions and has issued a permanent injunction prohibiting its
enforcement. (Source)
Public Facilities Restriction
Iowa
prohibits the use of some public facilities for the performance of
abortions. Iowa law severely restricts the conditions under
which a woman can terminate a pregnancy at the University of Iowa
hospital. (Source)
Refusal to Provide Medical Services
Iowa
allows individuals and hospitals that are not controlled, maintained,
and supported by a public authority to refuse to provide abortion
services. (Source)
Restrictions on Low-Income Women's Access to Abortion
Iowa
prohibits public funding for abortion for women eligible for state
medical assistance for general health care except in extreme
cases. (Source)
Restrictions on Young Women's Access to Abortion
Iowa law
restricts young (under 18) women's access to abortion services by
mandating parental notice. Consent is not required, and only one
parent need be notified. This serves to delay any abortion
procedure by a minimum of 48 hours after written notice is provided in
person. (Source)
Well,
that’s the GOP strategy for you: they slowly whittle away at our
rights to control our own bodies until we have no rights left.
Next up on the docket: What’s good about choice in Iowa?
Blog For Iowa 
“America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe v. Wade has deformed a great nation. The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord at the heart of the most intimate human relationships. It has aggravated the derogation of the father's role in an increasingly fatherless society. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts — a child — as a competitor, an intrusion, and an inconvenience. It has nominally accorded mothers unfettered dominion over the independent lives of their physically dependent sons and daughters”
And, in granting this unconscionable power, it has exposed many women to unjust and selfish demands from their husbands or other sexual partners. Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend, and must not be declared to be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or a sovereign.” (Mother Teresa — “Notable and Quotable,” Wall Street Journal, 2/25/94, p. A14)
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