Iowa Democrats speak out against ‘fetal heartbeat’ law

Iowa’s “fetal heartbeat bill” went into effect today after being signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds and withstanding a legal challenge that went to the Iowa Supreme Court last month. State Democrats held a Zoom news conference on Monday, July 29 to talk about the effects the law could have on families.

“Essentially, what Kim Reynolds, Brenda Byrd and the Republicans have done is practice medicine without a license,” said Rita Hart, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party. “They think that government, not women know what’s best for themselves and for their families. So, let’s be clear. Iowa Democrats believe that politicians should stay out of women’s doctor’s appointments. We don’t believe that government has a place in women’s doctor’s appointments in their doctors’ offices. We believe that healthcare providers should be making healthcare decisions now.”

“In Iowa, we’ve already seen the effects that extreme abortion bans have on states like Alabama, where IVF was put into jeopardy, and in Texas, where women have miscarried in lobby restrooms because hospitals refuse to help,” Hart said. “The scary thing is that Kim Reynolds, Brenna Bird and Iowa Republicans have said that this is just the beginning. They want to roll back reproductive freedoms even more.”

Dr. Francesca Turner, who is a practicing OBGYN in Des Moines, explained how the new law will affect physicians.

“This law is going to impact women, children, families and our communities,” she said. “We look at all of the other states. We already know what’s going to happen in our state. Now there are people who are calling themselves pro-life, but whose life are they protecting? Certainly not women, because women will be harmed and die because of this law. We’ve seen this in Texas or Idaho where women are life flighted out because the doctor can’t decide how many organs a woman should lose before they can save her life. Is it a kidney? Is it her uterus? What should we risk?”

Turner says the ban will have economic impacts too. “We know states with abortion bans, when women are turned away, they have three times the rate of poverty. They have four times the rate of unemployment. We also know that women who are denied abortion care are more likely to be victims of domestic violence. Those women are unable to leave the domestic abuser. States that had the most restrictive abortion bans have a 75% increase in peri-partum homicide. That means women are more like 75% more likely to die during pregnancy, or one year postpartum. This is not something we want for the women of Iowa.”

“The March of Dimes has declared 33 counties in Iowa as maternal health care deserts,” Turner said. “This is going to only exacerbate that with fewer applicants for medical schools and residencies across the board, not just for OB-GYNs in Iowa. If you don’t think that the legislature belongs in your exam room, if you think the legislature can practice medicine better than I can, who trained and practiced for years to get where I am. All of the physicians across Iowa are going to either leave or be severely restricted because of this.”

Rep. Jennifer Konfrst (D-32) notes that both freedom and medical decisions have been limited by the law. “Half of the state is less free today than they were yesterday because of Republicans in the legislature and Kim Reynolds. There’s just no other way to look at it. When it comes to freedom, half the state has less than they did and that’s unacceptable. I heard from someone over the weekend who’s concerned because she was afraid she might have an ectopic pregnancy. And she was afraid of what would happen to her when she got to the hospital. She talked about confusion she talks about fear. And she talks about a lot of different information out there that’s confusing her and she’s in a time of crisis and she didn’t know what would happen next.”

Konfrst believes medical decisions should be between patients and providers. “Why should they have to consult a lawyer or consult the Iowa Code when deciding whether or not they live to see tomorrow? This is not their role. This is not the legislature’s role.”

Future applications of the law are also a concern for Konfrst. “There are also threats to birth control and in vitro fertilization coming next. And the way we know that is by seeing what’s happened in states around the country. And we know what they’ll do; don’t listen to what they say, listen to what they do and what they’ve continued to do. Republicans have already passed bills that would fade IVF to illegal. There are plenty of problems still out there.”

Sen. Pam Jochum (D-36) remembers earlier days before Roe v. Wade. “I lived through a time when abortion was illegal before Roe vs. Wade became the law of the land. Unfortunately, women died, some were mutilated to a point where they were never able to bear children again, and we cannot go back. Our candidates and our volunteers have already knocked on the door of 42,000 persuadable voters and I can tell you that at the doors, abortion is one of the top issues that the voters are bringing up at the doors. They are angry that for the first time in their lives, a right has actually been taken away. And they do not believe that the government should be in our doctors’ offices and making our own personal healthcare decisions.”

“This is a sad day for Iowa,” said Rob Sand, Iowa auditor. “Rights have been stripped away from a little more than half of our state. I think it’s important to keep in mind that those aren’t just the rights of women but the rights of children too. I think it’s important to remember that the Iowa Democrats in the legislature offered an amendment to this bill that would have allowed an exception for children, 12, 11, 10 who might find themselves pregnant. The Iowa Republican legislators would not accept that amendment. This is a dangerous day for Iowa. The fact that that doctors will now have to wonder ‘for me to meet this exception for the health of the mother; is this future mother close enough to death for me to intervene?’ Those are never questions that we should want a doctor asking.”

Lanon Baccam, a Democrat who is running to serve Iowa’s Third District also weighted in. “I’m going to echo a lot of what has already been said here. You know, this is a devastating day for Iowa. Women no longer have the right to make their own personal health care decisions. This is one of the most restrictive and dangerous abortion bans in the country.”

Iowans who are looking for options can visit Iowans for Reproductive Freedom . Our Quad Cities News reached out to Governor Kim Reynolds’ office for a statement and have not received a response.

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