Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds will soon sign a Heartbeat Bill into law to protect all preborn babies with a beating heart, which generally occurs around six-weeks gestation.
On Tuesday, the Iowa state legislature approved the bill (HB 732). The Iowa House of Representatives passed the bill 56-32, while the state Senate passed the bill in a 32-17 vote.
Shortly after its passage, Gov. Reynolds said that she will sign the bill into law on Friday, July 14th.
On Wednesday, Bob Vander Plaats, President of The FAMiLY Leader, a Focus on the Family-allied state family policy council, announced that Gov. Reynolds will be signing the heartbeat bill at the organization’s FAMiLY Leadership Summit on Friday.
Following HB 732’s passage, Gov. Reynolds issued the following statement:
Today, the Iowa legislature once again voted to protect life and end abortion at a heartbeat, with exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother.
The Iowa Supreme Court questioned whether this legislature would pass the same law they did in 2018, and today they have a clear answer. The voices of Iowans and their democratically elected representatives cannot be ignored any longer, and justice for the unborn should not be delayed.
As a pro-life Governor, I am also committed to continuing policies to support women in planning for motherhood, promote the importance of fatherhood, and encourage strong families. Our state and country will be stronger because of it.
Gov. Reynolds also posted this tweet:
Tonight the Iowa legislature has passed — for a second time and by wider margins—legislation to protect life and end abortion at a heartbeat.
The voices of the unborn and their elected representatives will not be silenced any longer!
Congrats to the Iowa House and Senate! pic.twitter.com/DEI2tVwNqR
— Kim Reynolds (@KimReynoldsIA) July 12, 2023
According to LifeNews, Iowa will become the 17th state to have either a Heartbeat Bill or legislation protecting preborn children from the moment of conception.
It’s been a difficult road for Iowa lawmakers to protect preborn babies from abortion.
The passage of HB 732 marks the second time that Iowa has enacted a Heartbeat Bill.
In 2018, Iowa passed its first Heartbeat Bill as a trigger law, meant to take effect if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturned Roe v. Wade. However, a district court ruled the law unconstitutional in 2019.
After Roe was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022, Gov. Reynolds attempted to enforce the Heartbeat Bill, but was again ruled against by a district court. In June, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled 3-3 against Iowa’s 2018 Heartbeat Bill. The court’s ruling prevented the law from going into effect following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.
The Iowa Supreme Court ruling prompted Gov. Reynolds to call for a special session of the legislature this month in order to pass HB 732.
In a moving testimony in favor of the bill, Representative Launa Stoltenberg recounted her experience with abortion.
“I was told that it was just a blob of tissue, that it was easy and it was safe,” she said. “That was a lie.”
She added,
Those abortions caused me not to be able to have children. Every day I live with the reality that I killed the only children I would ever have.
In its passage of HB 732, Iowa has issued a pro-life message to the nation: don’t give up.
Leftist organizations like Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union will challenge any pro-life law passed by the states. But that doesn’t mean victory is impossible.
Pro-life states and legislators must press on – preborn babies are counting on it.
Focus on the Family has been working to turn the cultural tide and save mothers and babies from abortion for years. Since beginning the Option Ultrasound Program in 2004, Focus has helped save nearly half a million lives.
Our goal is to save one million babies by 2025. Just $60 will help save a life through Option Ultrasound. Will you partner with us to save a life from abortion here?
If you are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and want to learn more about your options, you can visit My Choice Network here.
When you need someone to talk to about your baby, or whatever else you’re going through, we’re here. Please reach out. 1-800-A-FAMILY.
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