Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice America Responds to Iowa Legislature Advancing Anti-Choice Constitutional Amendment
For Immediate Release: February 13, 2020
Contact: [email protected]
DES MOINES — Earlier today, members of the Iowa Senate passed an extreme constitutional amendment to roll back access to abortion in the state. If implemented, the amendment would nullify a 2018 Iowa Supreme Court decision upholding the fundamental right to access abortion in Iowa. This vote follows a party line vote yesterday in the House Judiciary Committee to pass the same measure without allowing public debate.
NARAL Pro-Choice America National Communications Director Kristin Ford released the following statement:
“Extreme anti-choice Republicans in Iowa are trying to steamroll Iowans with their extreme agenda, attempting to eliminate access to abortion by changing the state constitution. Every Iowan must be able to decide if, how, and when to raise to have a child. Iowans overwhelmingly support protecting the right to access abortion and believe that politicians have no place interfering in personal decisions best left to a woman with the support of those she loves and trusts.
“Fifty-eight percent of Iowa women already live in counties with no abortion clinic. Republicans have made it crystal clear that they will stop at nothing to eliminate access to choose abortion care entirely. Using women as political props to promote an extremist, anti-choice agenda is shameful and appalling. NARAL Iowa members will continue to hold politicians accountable for attacking our fundamental freedoms.”
Reproductive freedom remains a top issue for Iowans: When researching presidential candidates, “abortion” was among the top two most-searched issues in Iowa in the week leading up to the caucuses.
In 2019, NARAL held Reproductive Freedom Town Halls in Iowa with leading Democratic presidential candidates Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg, along with former candidates Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Kamala Harris, Secretary Julian Castro, Congressman Tim Ryan, and Governor Jay Inslee.
###
NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates and chapters are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all. For more than 50 years, NARAL has worked to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. Since 1969, NARAL has made history, grown to over 2.5 million members, and met the moments that have defined this fight with action, power and freedom. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”