Iowa Bill Aims To Ban Abortion at Any Point in Pregnancy

February 22, 2012 — A bill (HF 2298) proposed in the Iowa House aims to ban abortion in the state by removing all mentions of permitting the procedure from state laws, the Quad-City Times reports.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Kim Pearson (R), would make it a felony to perform or cause an abortion at any point in pregnancy, with punishments of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum $10,000 fine for violators (Lynch, Quad-City Times, 2/16).

House Democrats criticized their Republican colleagues for bringing up social issues after both parties agreed to focus on job growth and the economy (Noble, "Iowa Politics," Des Moines Register, 2/15). Iowa Democratic Party Chair Sue Dvorsky said, "House Republicans and their colleagues in the Senate would rather put the lives of women in danger than have a real discussion about how we create jobs and move Iowa forward" (Quad-City Times, 2/16).