The Iowa House of Representatives has decided to endorse a ballot proposal that outlaws abortion in the state. If it gets a positive nod by voters, it shall be included to the state Constitution which would declare a prohibition to ‘’right to an abortion’’ in the state. The ballot proposal which is under House Resolution 5 is for the 2024 election. It would pose a question to the voters, asking whether they agree to the amendment of the Iowa Constitution. The proposal reads;
“To defend and protect unborn children, we the people of the state of Iowa declare that this Constitution does not recognize, grant or secure a right to abortion or require the public funding of abortion.”
This plan was endorsed with a vote of 55-44 by the House on January 27. This was a week after a House committee voted to send the plan to the full legislative body. Reports also have it that last year, this plan was thought about by the Iowa legislature. However, the House did not come up for a vote. The Senate passed it at that period.
People who are in support of this proposal aim to prevent a judicial overreach, such as the 2018 Iowa Supreme Court decision. This decision brought down a law imposing a 72-hour waiting period before an abortion. Also, that decision saw abortion as a “fundamental right.”
In the words of Chief Justice Mark Cady, “autonomy and dominion over one’s body go to the very heart of what it means to be free. At stake in this case is the right to shape, for oneself, without unwarranted governmental intrusion, one’s own identity, destiny, and place in the world. Nothing could be more fundamental to the notion of liberty.
“We therefore hold, under the Iowa Constitution, that implicit in the concept of ordered liberty is the ability to decide whether to continue or terminate a pregnancy.”
On the other hand, Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, opined that the ballot proposal which is aimed at countering the ruling would safeguard the status quo.
“This is not about outlawing abortion but rather about helping to protect reasonable laws already on the books that are endangered by the Planned Parenthood vs. Reynolds decision,” he stating during debate, according to the Des Moines Register.
It is pertinent to note that Christians consider abortion as murder. In this instance, they said that it should be seen as illegal when humans decide to play God by deciding who lives or dies.
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