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While we did have a midterm election last November and Dobbs was a major factor in that election, it is possible that the electorate had yet at that time absorbed what the full effect of the Dobbs decision – or more precisely the end of abortion rights – at that time. It is pretty apparent that by 2024 the electorate will be fully aware of the rights that women have lost.

This fall will bring statehouse elections in Virginia. That should be a major indicator of the effects of the Dobbs decision.

What Dobbs has led to and is still leading to is a patchwork of rules and laws many of which are immediately challenged in the court system. It is a freaking mess. States are even trying to stop medications by mail and stopping women from traveling out of state for an abortion.

The people at the center of this mess – women – are little but pawns in the fight to impose religious and misogynistic laws. Those who want to impose their beliefs on women plan to do so in such a way that there is simply no wiggle room, either have the baby or pay the consequences. In many cases having the baby will bring severe consequences of its own.

Here in Iowa we are seeing the beginning of how inflexible Republicans will be on imposing their unpopular beliefs on Iowa women. Governor Reynolds had a plan that would shed the blame of imposing such unpopular abortion laws by having a Republican hand-picked state Supreme Court reimpose a very unpopular law from 5 years ago.

If the state Supreme Court reimposed a previous law, Reynolds and Republicans could claim they didn’t do it. With the control Republicans have over the press in this state that is a claim that would be only slightly challenged. Republicans would simply go on statewide media, claim it was a court decision and change the subject to ethanol. Iowa’s press would smile perfunctorly and say thanks.  

But Iowa’s Supreme Court didn’t do what a hand-picked court is supposed to do. They handed a political decision back to the politicians. Now Kim and her party will have to do what they wanted to avoid. They will have to pass another stringent abortion law here in Iowa. Expect that the extreme wing of their party will push very hard for the most stringent law possible with few or no exceptions. That will be hard to sell to voters.

While Iowa’s now extremist right wing Republican legislature will have to impose their right wing law in public view next year, their national party will be running on their intent to nationalize extremely stringent abortion laws. With more than 70% of Americans in favor of access to abortion, that will be like strapping a big stone to you legs before jumping in the lake to go swimming.

From the iowacapitaldispatch of Thursday, we have the story of how Democrats will be reminding voters that a vote for a Republican for senate or in any congressional district is a vote for a national abortion ban:

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Gary Peters, a U.S. senator from Michigan, said the party believes abortion access will be a “fundamental issue” in deciding which candidates voters elect to the next Congress.

“I think it’s very clear to Americans, if you’re voting for a Republican for the United States Senate, they are likely to push a national abortion ban, which will have an impact on you regardless of the state in which you live,” Peters said.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene, a U.S. House member from Washington, said during the 2024 campaigns “the threat to abortion rights nationwide will be clearer than ever.”

“We saw in 2022 how much the issue of abortion access motivated Democrats, independents and moderate Republican voters,” DelBene said. “And this cycle we’ve already seen proof that abortion remains a galvanizing issue in battleground districts.” 

Be very aware that a vote for any Republican for any state or national legislative seat is a vote against access to abortion almost without any exceptions. And since some of the medical practices for older women may use drugs used for abortion procedures, any woman may be affected by such stringent laws.

So every woman and any man who has a woman in his life be it a wife, daughter, mother, grandmother, niece or neighbor should be very, very wary of having inflexible, stringent laws put in place that could lead to death or disability through their application.

Let us add one more thing. Bonehead Bob Vander Plaats is once again going to try impose his religious views on the state of Iowa by trying to get the three judges who did not vote the way he wanted removed from the court. Turning a democracy into a theocracy has always had devastating consequences throughout history.

Bob, if you don’t want an abortion, don’t have one. But please let every woman in Iowa make her own decision on that most personal issue. Imposing your extremist views on Iowa’s women will make much more problems than it solves.

And for the “pro life” crowd – it is time to put your money where your mouth is by guaranteeing housing, schooling through college and medical care for children. Just forcing women to bear children is not real pro life. This country has the money, it is just that right now that money goes to cuts for the wealthy.