Opinion: Iowans are pro-life, and today was a long time coming

Women do not need abortion. It does not empower them. It does not give them equality with men. It hurts them and causes lifelong pain. And the answer to our social problems is not to kill the child.

By MAGGIE DeWITTE, Executive Director Pulse Life Advocates

In spite of the fact that Iowans keep electing pro-life legislators with increasing majorities, the laws protecting our unborn children have lagged behind those of most other U.S. states, and even Europe.

I was at the debate when we passed the 20-week abortion ban, the first significant restriction against abortion in our state. As proud as Iowa pro-lifers were of this accomplishment, most states already offered better protections, as did all but two European nations.

I was also present as the fetal heartbeat bill passed in 2018 and again as it was passed July 11, respecting the will of the people.

This has been a long time coming. Iowa is finally catching up with the rest of the world in protecting our posterity.

Innocent lives have been lost while this law was held up by injunctions and judges legislating from the bench. An estimated 2,000 Iowa babies’ lives would have been saved EVERY year that heartbeat legislation was enforced.

Humanity begins at fertilization

Just 21 days following fertilization, the baby’s organs start to develop, including the heart. The sad truth is that we never want to address the humanity of the child in the womb or share the regret and suffering women experience after having their abortion.

We talk about women’s rights, but we don’t want to give those rights to girls in the womb. But the reality is that abortion harms women, kills unborn children, and creates a society that devalues human life.

Passing the heartbeat law in Iowa is the right thing for our citizens.

Last year saw the biggest win in the pro-life movement in the reversal of Roe v. Wade via the Dobbs ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.

We also had a win as the Iowa Supreme Court revisited and corrected its egregious Planned Parenthood v. Reynolds decision, acknowledging that, in fact, there is no fundamental right to abortion enshrined in our Iowa Constitution.

Iowans want a culture of life

With all these changes, we are moving closer to creating a culture of life in the state of Iowa.

Women do not need abortion. It does not empower them. It does not give them equality with men. It hurts them and causes lifelong pain. And the answer to our social problems is not to kill the child.

The answer is to embrace women in crisis.

That is why we worked hard to pass the MOMS (More Options for Maternal Support) bill, and in this last session, passing $1 million in funding that will connect pregnant women and new moms to essential support services in pregnancy resource centers.

It is designed to empower women and protect children, increase compassionate care to improve pregnancy outcomes and child health and development. It includes counseling, parenting education, material items and referrals for medical care. That is what the pro-life movement is about. Caring for the women AND caring for the babies; we love them both.

Why is the pro-abortion lobby against this?

Pulse Life Advocates and our allies in the Iowa Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders will continue educating on this issue and look forward to the day when all human life is protected.

[This piece was published in the Des Moines Register July 14th, 2023]