Meeting Public Comments

Evelyn Nikkel [PELLA PAC]

Absolutely agree with this decision. Our young people are being bombarded with the push for abortions of "clumps of cells" and have not been educated to reality. Studies show that the majority of women who see an ultrasound of their baby change their minds and stop their abortion. This detailed film will make it very clear that the fetus is a baby maturing daily. Excellent decision. Thank you!!

Sally Peterson

I disagree with this bill it should not advance. Having major in biology in college there is plenty of information on the formation of a fetus. the governor and the legislators need to focus on more important problems in our state. Like how to retain our young adults.

Justin Scott [Eastern Iowa Atheists]

As a father of three public school children and as an atheist that trusts science and modern medicine, I firmly believe that what our students are taught in Iowas classrooms should be based on empirical evidence, not guided by anyones "deeply held beliefs," especially when those beliefs are rooted in religious dogma. This is why I am writing to strongly oppose HSB 34, a bill that threatens to undermine the integrity of our education system by introducing politically motivated and scientifically inaccurate content under the guise of education.I stood beside my wife as she faced the incredibly difficult decision to end our first pregnancy. Having access to a safe and legal abortion is actually what provided my family the chance to grow. That deeply personal experience has reinforced my belief in the importance of making informed, evidencebased decisions about reproductive health, free from ideological manipulation. HSB 34 seeks to promote the Meet Baby Olivia video, created by Live Action, an antiabortion group notorious for spreading misleading, medically inaccurate content. This video is not grounded in science; it is a political tool designed to promote a particular religious agenda, not to educate. The inclusion of this video in Iowa schools would politicize health education and deprive students of the unbiased, factbased information they need to understand reproductive health.I have several serious concerns about HSB 34:1. Undermining Educational Standards Our classrooms should foster critical thinking, encourage scientific inquiry, and provide students with evidencebased knowledge. Instead, this bill seeks to turn our schools into platforms for ideological propaganda, undermining the educational integrity that parents, teachers, and students deserve.2. Erosion of Parental Rights HSB 34 imposes a narrow, ideological agenda on all Iowa students, disregarding the diverse needs and beliefs of families. It strips parents of their right to guide their children's education on sensitive topics like reproductive health, replacing parental input with governmentmandated, politically charged content.3. Disrespecting Public Opinion The majority of Iowans support reproductive freedom, and this bill represents a blatant attempt to override that public support with religiously motivated legislation. If the information in the Meet Baby Olivia video were truly based on science, it wouldnt need to be forced into schools by legislationit would stand on its own merit.Last session, Iowans successfully opposed similar attempts to politicize education. We must do so again. I urge you to reject HSB 34 and ensure that Iowas classrooms remain places where students receive education based on evidence, not political agendas or religious ideology.