Tales from the Iowa State Fair 2024

The Iowa State Fair 2024 provides us great opportunities to talk with Iowans on the abortion issue. We hear from both side: pro and con.

Last night, we were at the Catholic Pastoral center in downtown Des Moines. A diocesan staff member commented on how impressed he was with our new booth design.

He spotted it from a distance, which never happened with our old booth. As he approached, he overheard a conversation taking place among a family standing outside the booth, but nonetheless reading our graphics intently. He observed that they were engaged in a serious discussion on the nature of the term ‘reproductive freedom’ and its implications. Upon reading the text on our backdrop, one woman said “maybe the term reproductive freedom isn’t what they say it is.” He didn’t know how it ended, but our presence and our booth sparked a thoughtful exchange on this life and death subject.

In a different exchange, a woman took us to task for supporting the Heartbeat Bill. She said the law, which restricts abortion once the fetal heartbeat is detected, would drive people from Iowa. In fact, she sniffed, her own daughter was talking about leaving Iowa if she didn’t have access to unfettered abortion. (She missed the irony that a potential future granddaughter could be the victim of the ‘reproductive freedom’ she espoused.)

But is she correct? Do life-affirming laws that protect unborn babies really drive people from a state? Actually, just the opposite.

The states with the most inbound migration are:

1. Texas, where abortion is banned, except in cases involving the Mother’s health.

2. Florida, which passed a Heartbeat Law.

3. Georgia, which passed a Heartbeat Law.

4. South Carolina, where abortion is banned at 6 weeks.

5. Tennessee, where abortion is banned, with limited exceptions.

The states with the most outbound migration are:

1. New York, which has an unqualified right to abortion up to 24 weeks.

2. California, with abortion at viability, with broad exceptions.

3. Illinois, with abortion at viability, with broad exceptions.

4. New Jersey, with no limits on abortion.

5. Massachusetts with abortion available up to 23 weeks and 6 days.

6. Maryland, no limits on abortion.

In other words, progressive states with the most repugnant pro-abortion laws are losing people in droves.

By contrast, states with life-affirming, pro-life laws on the books are attracting migrants by the droves.

What about Iowa? We’ve begun gaining migrants since the passage of the Heartbeat Bill in 2018 (even though it just went into effect this year.)

North American Van Lines is one of the top-rated moving companies in North America. They track migration rates between states based on who’s moving where.

In 2018, when the Heartbeat Bill passed in Iowa, more people were moving out of Iowa (55%) than moving in (45%).

But by 2023, the trend had reversed. More people moved into Iowa (52%) than moved out (48%).

Clearly, pro-life laws have no deleterious effect on migration rates.

You can see why Pulse needs to be at the Iowa State Fair every year.

[Our new display booth is a game-changer. Help Pulse defray the cost of this investment. Donate today.]