Iowa Republicans Step Back on Abortion Ban Bill

Iowa Republicans have decided not to push forward with a bill that would ban all abortions in the state. The bill, which would have made performing an abortion a serious crime, did not have enough support to move forward. The bill's main supporter, Rep. Jon Dunwell, said that the bill did not have the backing it needed from his party. He decided to focus on other issues instead. The bill would have considered the life of every human being to begin at conception. It would have made performing an abortion a class A felony, punishable by life in prison without parole. The bill also included exemptions for cases where the pregnant woman's life was at risk or in cases of medical emergencies.Rep. Dunwell said that he still believes in the bill but felt that the timing was not right to push for it. He plans to focus on other ways to restrict abortion, such as placing new limits on abortion medication. The bill would have banned most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest, and medical emergencies. Currently, Iowa law bans most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. This law was signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2023 and took effect in 2024 after a court challenge. The current law includes exceptions for rape, incest, and medical emergencies, which include preserving the life of the pregnant person or preventing serious harm to their health.