DES MOINES, Iowa– The Illinois Department of Public Health says tougher abortions laws are causing more women coming in from other Midwestern states to get an abortion. And a new bill which further restricts abortions in Iowa is on its way to the Iowa House of Representatives.
DES MOINES, Iowa– The Illinois Department of Public Health says tougher abortions laws are causing more women coming in from other Midwestern states to get an abortion.
And a new bill which further restricts abortions in Iowa is on its way to the Iowa House of Representatives.
The bill was passed in the state senate yesterday with bi-partisan support.
„the way that I view this is you always hear but what if she can’t take care of it,“ Fort Des Moines Church of Christ Pastor Michael Demastus said.
Taking care of it, wasn’t the issue for Amanda Acton.
“I don’t believe that we should be allowing politicians who have a religious view of life to make this decision,” Amanda Acton said. “A decision which should be left up to a woman and her partner”.
Acton’s baby girl was named Leslie, Leslie had a fetal anomaly and hadn’t developed any lungs.
Acton decided to abort the pregnancy after the six-week mark.
“Even thinking about it now it gets me emotional we chose this because it was the one thing we could do for her, it was the one choice we had that would prevent her suffering,” Acton said.
The so called fetal heart beat bill would outlaw most abortions after six weeks or, once a heartbeat is detected.
“Most of the fetal anomalies can be tested early in the pregnancy but you don’t do it until ten weeks so, this bill would not even account for those types of situations,“ Acton said.
It does though provide exemptions for a mom whose life is at risk.
The bill does not give any recourse to rape or victims of incest.
“In terms of rape why would we punish the innocent for the crimes of the father,” asked Pastor Demastus. “When does that ever happen in law, when we punish an innocent person for the crime of someone else? The child and baby are absolutely innocent”.
Demastus believes life begins at conception and, so do 55% of Iowans who were polled by the Des Moines Register.
But people like Amanda Acton say regardless, a woman should always have the right to choose.
“I would never want a woman to turn to Planned Parent Hood, I would want her to turn to the church and, “say I am going to keep it what now,” Demastus said.
If the bill passes, it would be illegal for doctors to perform abortions after six weeks.
If caught not obeying the law, the punishment is up to five years in prison.
The American Civil Liberties Union calls this bill unconstitutional but, was not able to comment on whether legal action will be taken if this bill is signed into law.
