Meeting Public Comments

Kara Simmons []

I strongly oppose this bill. Your body, your choice. Abortion bans and restrictions disproportionately affect marginalized people who cannot afford to travel to another state for care. They widen already gaping health inequities for people of color, people with disabilities, people in rural areas, young people, and people with lowincomes, and make them more likely to be forced into pregnancy.

Dorma Gunnells []

Abortion is Healthcare. And unless you are licensed physicians in the state of Iowa you should not be making laws regarding a woman's healthcare decisions.

Sharon Kendall-Dunn []

In the Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus says, "Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough / To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none,conspiracy; / Hide it in smiles and affability." There is absolutely no pretense displayed by the Iowa GOP as they smile and lay out their sinister agenda for Iowa. They preach freedom as they smile and celebrate as they take away our freedoms simply because they can. It is clear the Iowa GOP is governing as if Christianity was a political party without any regard for the diversity of religions in this state. They seem unaware of Iowans rights to not be coerced into the establishment of any one religion upon them. And they are ignoring the importance of Separation of Church & State which was based on early Americans fears of government interference. This Iowa Legislature is interfering with Iowans rights to autonomy with this special session not to mention wasting taxpayer dollars again on a selfserving manufactured crisis.Gov. Reynolds and the Iowa GOP would like us to believe they strongly support prolife principles and are against the arbitrary destruction of innocent, defenseless lives." But the hypocrisy of their actions is shocking as they choose to focus on only ONE prolife issue, the one that gets them cheap votes from their base and panders to their national handlers in their selfserving power quest for national fame and higher political ambitions. They have abandoned Iowans once again in prioritizing power and profit over people with this special session on the taxpayers dime. If this was really about prolife principles or against the arbitrary destruction of innocent, defenseless lives as Reynolds says, they would certainly want to be consistent in saving all of our lives, correct? We as Iowans, are ALL innocent AND defenseless against the powerful, wellfinanced selfserving interests in this state and their lobbyists that the Iowa GOP has pledged their allegiance. If they were genuinely against the arbitrary destruction of innocent, defenseless lives they would acknowledge the legal fact that trash set out in a garbage can for collection is entitled to more constitutional protection than a woman's interest in autonomy and dominion over her own body; the attorney general wouldnt further violate women in distress by withholding Plan B from rape victims; they would have extended postpartum Medicaid coveragefor mothers; they would hold a special session to solve the lack of affordable child care and raise child care worker wages, not pass the buck onto 16 year old workers to solve their problem; they wouldnt accept blood money from the NRA to weaken existing common sense gun laws and acknowledge that unregulated gun violence kills our children; Iowa nursing homes wouldnt be shutting down at a rapid rate and have such a shameful record of care; they would have taken the necessary precautions in preventing covid deaths (fyi, pregnancy isnt contagious but covid is); they would acknowledge that Planned Parenthood is an ally with the State in helping women, not the enemy, in providing affordable health care and acknowledging the lack of access to birth control has actually increased abortions and placed unnecessary burden on women seeking help out of state; not increasing the Medicaid rate for medical practitioners limits healthcare access to our most vulnerable population and results in a denial of timely care and probably the biggest issue in this state that causes arbitrary destruction of innocent, defenseless lives is how big agricultural and manufacturing interests are allowed to conduct their business without regulations or oversight regulations that are designed to protect human health. As of 2022, Iowa is number two in the country for the rate of cancer incidence! Lack of oversight on protecting our water and air quality from these industries is literally making Iowans of all ages sick and killing us. Not very prolife is it? How do Iowans protect themselves against those who have an army of lawyers, lobbyists and money? Iowans would be better protected if our politicians werent so eager to build their financial war chests off industries only interested in making record profits and consumed by making a national name for themselves. You may think this is a simple issue of protecting the unborn but its essential you acknowledge all the other issues in Iowa that affect saving lives. Maybe you think you cant because you are unwilling to separate your religious beliefs from your legislative duties to represent all Iowans? The majority of Iowans do not want any further restrictions on abortion, are you listening?

Amy Cohen [Planned Parenthood of Iowa Advocates]

Please vote no on the 6 week anti abortion bill. Women must have the right to determine what is right for our bodies. It should not be a politicians decision. Over half of your constituents are women, and you are infringing on our rights if you vote anything but no for this bill.

Kim Cater []

This bill is unconstitutional and shouldnt pass. It takes away a certain group of peoples rights to decide what they can do with their own bodies and shouldnt pass.

Peg Hadley []

Do NOT pass laws that restrict abortion. Reproductive health decisions should be between a woman and her doctor. Keep your bans off my body!

Andrew Wolos []

What will happen if a woman is raped and does not realize she is pregnant until after a fetal heartbeat is detected? She will be forced to carry her rapist's baby? Furthermore, will you be working to mandate paid maternity leave for women that will be forced to carry babies to term? Will you also be supporting zero deductible/premium healthcare for these women when they have to visit the doctor and hospital during these pregnancies? Will you be subsidizing childcare for the woman when she has to return to work? My guess is you will not. Because for Republicans, pushing this agenda, which has been shown to be widely unsupported by Americans, is not about protecting life or being prolife. It's about forcing birth. Because once that baby is born, you don't support any government assistance to help that mother and child succeed. Take note of what happened across the country in November 2022 when antiabortion politicians took this stance.

Lou Milks []

Vote no on this bill. It is between a woman and her doctor. You are a politician not a healthcare professional.

Sam Moon [Individual]

Abortion is a bodily autonomy right to anyone that may need it. Abortion is not killing babies and robbing them of their lives. No access to safe abortions is going to kill more healthy people than any amount of children you think are being taken away from a happy life. If you care so much about the children then fund foster care programs more. Make the children who were actually cast to the side by their parents, be it of their own choice or not having an option but to rely on the foster care system, actually feel like you care about them first before forcing them to live a life they didnt ask for. No access to safe abortions means people sexually abused by the people around them will be forced to give birth to a reminder that they were assaulted. This includes teens. Forcing adults and teenagers (CHILDREN) to give birth to an unwanted child will only cause grief and misfortune to the parents and the child themselves. Unless the state is going to fully fund the life of this child they mandated to live, then they should have no say on what people should be allowed to do with their bodies. Women and people with a uterus are infantilized and demeaned when they want control over their own bodies, be it an abortion or a hysterectomy or more. Theyre required to wait way longer than they should for permission from SOMEONE ELSE to do what they want with their own bodies. People know what is best for themselves medically. They LIVE in their own bodies. It should not be up to any senator or representative whether someone has a right to do what they want with their body medically. If you care abour the children so much. Stop funding antiabortion bills. Fund schools. Fund libraries. Fund foster care facilities. Increase gun protection laws so our children feel safe in school, a place that is supposed to be comfortable and meant for learning and gathering. Increase penalties for pedophiles and those who break their probation to harm children even more. What someone does to their body in the privacy of a doctors office is none of your business. Nobody is forcing anyone to get abortions they dont want. All you have to do, is mind your goddamn business. Thank you for reading.

Susan Benton []

I oppose the socalled heartbeat bill. You are not representing the majority of Iowans, but instead are imposing personal beliefs on everyone, and denying women the ability to make their own healthcare choices.

Ioan Ittu [Pastor, Drake Graduate Student in Mental Health & Winterset Resident]

Legislators, please consider the following: The world around us is made up of many different heartbeats that dont have rights and privileges that we afford human beings. This can be seen in the animals we eat, as well as clams in our oceans and lakes. These clams, are at the lowest form debatably sentient life that have heartbeats, yet their heart doesnt extend to them the right to life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness. In the scientific pursuit of life, at 6 weeks, the embryos cells are starting to specialize into heart cells and simple nervous system cells. However, at this point in creation, these specialized cells have not yet made a human with inalienable rights. Take out a heart from a human and put a completely mechanical heart and they are still human. This shows what is essential to us is not the specialized cells that rhythmically contract and relax as a heartbeat. Being in a graduate program for mental health at Drake University in Des Moines, I am continually being shown that what makes us uniquely human, biologically and scientifically, is our brain. Take out the brain or have the brain be rendered nonfunctional, and we are no longer us. While many animals have brains of a simpler makeup, we humans have a cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is the key that makes us human in biological terms. Our cerebral cortex is not only larger than that of other higher life forms, built of more neurons, but our cerebral cortex also continuously learns and adapts in ways that are unique to humans. This gives us our uniquely human cognition. It is the development of the cerebral cortex, and not the heart, that marks our existence as humans with inalienable rights. Many basic lower brain functions that humans share with lizards comes from a portion of the brain called the brainstem. The brainstem begins development at 5 weeks of pregnancy and is more or less developed around 13 weeks. This brainstem is the source of many involuntary and autonomic functions in animals and humans such as heartbeats. The brainstem is the source of much of the fetal movement labeled by early Elizabethan medicine as a quickening. Brainstem functions do denote life, but not our uniquely human life. Our human cerebral cortex can be said to be present in an early form around 16 weeks of pregnancy and robustly developed around 22 weeks. However, the presence of the cerebral cortex is when uniquely human life that is biologically different from other life forms begins. Therefore, the ending of a pregnancy when a heartbeat is present but before the cerebral cortex is functioning is not the ending of a human life, but preventing one from coming into existence that has not yet begun. Compelling biological facts are just that, facts. Looking at it from a spiritual point of view, regarding marking the beginning of human life with a soul, my insights from 12 years as an ordained Christian pastor and 10 years of formal religious training before my ordination factor in. The Bible says that God breathes life into us. The word spirit and breath are the same in the Bible and the language Jesus spoke. Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit onto his disciples. Biblically speaking, souls have nothing to do with heartbeats. The blood moved around by hearts is holy in scripture in that it is said to have the power of life in it. But that holy blood and its power for atonement is in lambs and pigeons too. The holiness of blood and the heart that moves it, from a biblical perspective, is not unique to Gods human creation. We may come from different faith traditions, but from a biblical perspective, the beating heart is just not where the soul nor the image of God is located. Before you vote, please ask yourself this question of conscience: despite the very real political pressures to vote for this bill, can you in good conscience vote to create laws that put the rights of a notyethuman organism ahead of the rights of the full persons that are our sisters, daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and goddaughters, there in disregarding, denigrating, disenfranchising their rights to their bodies, health, and longterm wellbeing? There is no spiritual or biological reason to say human life and the rights inalienable to it start with heartbeats. As a current foster parent, who unsuccessfully tried to adopt a child, as well as having my little brother given away in adoption, and now successfully navigating infertility with my wife, I have experienced the deep consequences of unwanted and uncaredfor children on individual sand society. With all this information available, I am bound to conclude that abortion is a tragic but necessary option that should be available unencumbered to women up to the point that uniquely human life is present marked by a developing yet functioning cerebral cortex in an unborn child. At this point of a functioning cerebral cortex is when the complexities of discerning the rights of two humans should begin to take effect and be adjudicated under the rule of law.

Roxanna Timm [Consumer]

I do not support this bill SSB1223. I strongly oppose religious beliefs interfering with health care decisions! "Elephants" are not IUDs thus have no place in a woman's uterus! Access to healthcare for ALL!

Carol Chesterman [NA]

61% of Iowans believe that every Iowan has the fundamental right to make individual decisions about their reproductive health care, including birth control, abortion, and pregnancy. As your constituent I urge you to support legislation that supports Iowa womens right to be in control their bodies and not give that authority to legislators. I urge you to NOT support a 6week ban on abortion. Vote NO!Respectfully, Carol Chesterman

Emily Breslin []

As someone who has health complications, and was told by more than one doctor that it was unsafe for me to have children, I do not think that any healthcare decisions should be made or enforced for a person by the government in any form. Healthcare is provided for the wellbeing of the individual and is not in my opinion something that the government should have control of. I do not support this bill.

Jill Kimm []

I am physician who helped an 11 yo girl give birth when I was in medical school at Iowa. This was a forced birth. And a horror I shall never forget. While maternal mortality rates sky rocket to the highest among developed nations, you decide to force women to give birth. Please do not weaponize your personal beliefs against women who do not agree with you.

Jerry Uhlman [Retired]

Iowa already has a problem, Polly CarverKimm was fired for letting the cat out of the bag several years ago. Due to the actions of Iowas Republican legislatures the number of abortions in Iowa were on the rise, not declining. Seems the decision to take away funding for Planned Parenthood had a negative effect. A recent study by the University of Washington shows that maternal deaths in the US have dramatically increased in the past two decades. The increase is in all womens groups and among Black and Native Americans in particular. The study credits the lack of access to healthcare and prenatal care for women and fears antiabortion laws that have already contributed to the decline will make the problem even worse. The US already has an infant mortality rate and maternal death rate higher than many third world countries and we are past the bottom of the list for developed countries. Taking away funds from honest organization like Planned Parenthood who provided free of charge if needed, education, contraception, prenatal care, health checkups and screenings certainly has had a negative impact. The actions by Iowas legislature over the past two decades has done nothing but make the situation worse for Iowa women and families, studies show it. Restricting sex education in schools, HPV antivaccine stances, restricting access to birth control and taking away confidentiality between school nurses, teachers and students have cause the opposite of what Republicans claim they wanted. Actions by the Republican controlled Iowa Legislature have hurt rural women the most because of honest organizations like Planned Parenthood being force to close clinics in rural communities for lack of funding, not to mention the attacks on women seeking honest advice and health care through those clinics. VOTE NO ON SSB1223 and stop the attacks on womens health.

Jill Kimm []

Childbirth in America is dangerous, more dangerous than in any other developed country. A person who becomes pregnant and chooses to give birth is putting her life on the line. It is not your job as legislators to make that choice and to force pregnant women to give birth. Iowa will become an obstetrical desert with few OBs willing to practice here. Please leave your narrow views at the door and dont codify them into law. I am a physician. A 6 wk old embryo does not have a heart!

Josephine O’Donnell []

I strongly oppose this bill that will result in the death of women and girls in Iowa if enacted.We have already seen the horrors coming out of other states with similar laws. There is no way to legislate every particular and personal situation. These are decisions that should be left up to the woman, her healthcare provider, and her family. There is no role for the government in these decisions.

Jill Kimm [PP]

This bill uses inaccurate language. At 6 weeks post last menstrual period, the product of conception is called an embryo, not a fetus, and it doesnt have a heart. Please do not remove a right that Iowa women have had for half a century so that you can please your religious base.

Amy holst []

I am against this bill. Abortion should be between a provider and patient.

Dixie Harnden []

I feel this issue should be brought before the voters of the state of Iowa in a general election. Let the people of Iowa decide this issue not the legislature and governor!

katherine draper [Meidh Corporation]

Please keep Iowa a safe place for all women.

Zoe Fredriksen []

Vote NO to prohibit abortion. Abortion is lifesaving medical care for women. Allowing this law to pass will be a tragic loss for equality and body autonomy. Women must have the right to CONSENT to pregnancy and giving birth. If this passes, dead bodies not consenting to organ removal for donation are shown more respect.

Helen Jackleybieth []

Please do not restrict womens reproductive rights. Its my body not yours! There are too many children already that are not properly feed, clothed, housed or educated. Many children that are wanted dont have enough to eat or a warm comfortable bed to sleep in. If Im not wealthy, I have a better risk of complications during pregnancy because Im poor or a minority, dont have the healthcare I may need or should have, or I may be working two or three jobs to make ends meet and already not enough time and money for the children I have. If the government can make such a law as IOWA is trying to pass, whats next? No restrictions, its a decision between a woman, her family and her doctor not YOU! Dont make this an issue. We already have enough to worry about with our children. Perhaps its time to limit men on how often they can have sex per month or only to a certain age. Or how about some legislative rules for getting Cialis and limiting the number of pills. This is such a complex issue, abortion, having to do with income, politics, skin color, etc. What will happen to all of the poor, malnourished, unhoused, unhealthy children when abortion is restricted..are you going to care for them in your home, in your community?

Jane Hemminger []

This special session is such a waste of taxpayer money when there will be no change it party numbers come the new legislative session. Second why does less government inference in our lives not include my body? My body and my choices are for me, my god, and my doctor to discuss. I respectfully disagree with all of this.

Lori Eisbrener []

Do not pass this bill. Most women with unintended pregnancies choose life. This bill takes that choice from ALL of them. AND will impact attachment and have damaging effects on the mental health of these babies and generations to come. The damage that a heartbeat ban will have on the big picture of our society is unimaginable. We can all agree decreasing abortion is a good goal. There are MANY other ways to reach this goal without taking away a woman's self determination. Babies have a right for their mom's to be allowed to choose them.

William Nellans [None]

My Grandmother died and left three children under four years of age from a back alley abortion in Des Moines in 1921. We solved this awful situation by making abortion legal and under a Medical Doctor's supervision. You are so misguided if you take this decision away from a Woman and her Doctor.More Women will Die!

Julie Schwertley []

Im writing because the abortion ban republicans plan to pass in special session is going to kill women and girls. With out access to abortion I would be dead today. When I was 13 I got pregnant I was an orphan and had I not had a access to abortion. I would of been homeless however my plan was suicide if i was unable to get an abortion. After I was married we wanted a baby desperately. We were overjoyed when we learned I was pregnant. The fetus ended up dying. With out access to abortion I would love f died of sepsis. The reasons women need abortions is complicated and should be between them and a doctor period !

JEFFREY Eisbrener []

Taking away the greatest gift from Gid after life, of free will is wrong. I have always believed that Gid breathes the soul into a Human when a child takes their first breath. An embryo at 6 weeks is not viable outside the womb even with medical assistance. It would be better to spend our resources to reduce unintended pregnancies and abortions by providing education, guidance, making men more accountable providing a path to choose life than making abortions. Which have been happening since before 1974. Than making abortions illegal or not an option after 6 weeks. Please vote no on this bill.

Catherine Bolkcom []

I am completely opposed to the limitations being placed on medical decisions that are to be made between a woman and her doctor. For socalled Republicans to interfere in the private lives of Iowa is anathema. Posing ones religious views on all the citizens in Iowa is not a conservative act. It is a radical act.I urge you to oppose this bill on abortion.

Beth Hoffman []

Im so disappointed and embarrassed for my home state of Iowa infringing on the rights of women by essentially eliminating a womans right to choose to terminate a pregnancy. There are so many reasons a woman may need to make the difficult decision, and it is never one that is taken lightly. This decision is one that should only be between a woman and her doctor.

Tracy Creason []

The Governor and Republican lawmakers have spent the 2023 session passing laws in the name of parental rights from banning books to funding private education using taxpayer dollars and now you call a special session to take away one of the most fundamental and personal parental rights, reproductive healthcare.Abortion is healthcare! Every Iowan has the right to make personal, reproductive healthcare decisions. These decisions belong with the individual and not with government. When you bring your personal and sometimes religious views into government, your narrow views take away parental decisions and responsibilities from people and limit the freedom most Iowans deserve. When you pass laws based on your personal beliefs you take away the ability for Iowans to make healthcare decisions for themselves. You are not protecting lives; you are endangering the lives of Iowans. There are numerous reasons someone makes reproductive healthcare decisions, those reasons are private, personal and no ones business, especially the government. You are being hypocritical as you claim you want to protect the rights of Iowans, but you only want to protect those that follow your values.While Iowans elected you, they did not elect you to govern our bodies or our reproduction. Passing restrictive abortion bans will only harm Iowans. You need to leave the current laws on abortion intact and allow Iowans the right to make reproductive healthcare decisions for themselves.reproductive healthcare is a personal, medical decision made by the person and potentially their doctor. This is not a decision made by a politician. I value life and respect science, medicine and the personal decisions made by those involved. Your comments should include compassion for the person making this decision, not having to fight or argue as to why. They should not have to worry about hate or fear their decision will bring on violence or penalties of law. Your comments should also include this is not our decisions as politicians.These very restrictive laws put patients and doctors at risk. Patients are dying. Doctors are held to do no harm as politicians are forcing them to choose between helping their patients or breaking the law. Politicians do not know the circumstances of the person making these decisions, yet they judge based on their personal beliefs and values.As Governor Reynolds and her band of Republican lawmakers want to pass a 6week abortion law based on their own personal beliefs and values they go against medicine, science and even the religious beliefs of Iowans. According to experts, the term fetal heartbeat is misleading and medically inaccurate.According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) it is clinically inaccurate to use the word heartbeat to describe the sound that can be heard on ultrasound in very early pregnancy. In fact, there are no chambers of the heart developed at the early stage in pregnancy that this word is used to describe, so there is no recognizable heartbeat. Until the chambers of the heart have been developed and can be detected via ultrasound (roughly 1720 weeks of gestation), it is not accurate to characterize the embryos or fetuss cardiac development as a heartbeat. What pregnant people may hear is the ultrasound machine translating electronic impulses that signify fetal cardiac activity into the sound that we recognize as a heartbeat. I urge you to get all the facts and leave the current law intact.This is a very important decision for Iowans!

Mandy Sawtelle []

I am against the six week heartbeat bill.

Katie Hines []

I fully support bodily autonomy. Restricting abortion access hurts women's physical health, financial health, and overall happiness. The following are statistic concluded in The Turnaway Study: The cost of denying women access to abortion by Diana Greene Foster that followed over 1000 women for 10 years who were either able to receive an abortion or who were not able. 1. Women who were able to receive an abortion were more likely to stay employed and live above the federal poverty line.2. Women denied abortions were more likely to be on welfare, declare bankruptcy, and default on loans.3. Women who were denied an abortion were less likely to complete post secondary school (29% who were denied, compared to 72% who received an abortion).4. Women who were able to receive an abortion had overall better physical health over the course of the study than those denied.5. Women who received an abortion had a greater chance of having a wanted pregnancy and being in a good romantic relationship over the course of the study.These statistics show that access to abortion is critical for the financial, physical, and emotional health of women. These benefits also lead to a better economy. It would be irresponsible for the Legislature to pass this bill.I have had friends who have had unplanned pregnancies, some have chosen abortion and some have chosen to continue their pregnancy. No matter the decision every single one of them would say they made the right choice. Women need to be trusted because they know what is best for them and their families.

Kelly Bryant []

Vote No on any heartbeat bill. "Vote to make sure abortion care stays accessible to those who need it" "I, along with the majority of Iowans, support keeping abortion, safe, legal, and accessible because its the right thing to do for women. When you remove the healthcare decisions from females you condemn us to second class citizens. The male politicians deciding whats best for strangers theyve never met & will never agree are equal to them, arent even medical doctors. How dare you allow this condemnation to poverty for the female & any children she already has at home. Iowa republicans have no desire to expand healthcare to include women or any of the needs, education, work place w/day care, or food supplements for those who need assistance. Instead you continue to make access more difficult. You have made it so that rapists can choose their baby momma with little or no consequence to the man doing the violent act of impregnating, that should include husband rape but it wont in this patriarchal run gop. Instead you would force the girl to carry to term the spawn of evil & then allow him custody. Shameful. At six weeks there is no heartbeat, only the electrical hum of fetal cells & blood tissue. No fetus can survive on its own. Do you ever consider the children already born & those who may be born in the future when abortion is chose? You destroy or kill those kids by denying a woman choice on what to do with her body & family planning. Unless you are going to support women 100% you have no right to destroy their entire lives with an unwanted pregnancy. If only men would take the responsibility that without the penis there is no unwanted pregnancy, no unwanted child, no lifelong mental issues being forced to use your body as a receptacle for the penis & sperm. How many laws are there on the books dictating how men can use their penis or that make masturbation an act to be policed for potential life in that sperm needed to fertilize an egg?Or how about the courts enforcing court ordered child support on the men that used their penis to impregnate, at no cost to the mothers to collect. If women arent equal in their rights, Iowa will continue to have a mass exodus of females & their potential families. Vote no on the heartbeat bill or any bill banning abortion, any bill that restricts womens right to making their healthcare decisions, vote no.Quit making females second class citizens.

Diana Fern []

I do not support a ban on abortion or restricting womens health care choices.My body my choice.

Laura Fehr []

The majority of Iowans believe we have the right to make our own decisions about our bodies, lives and futures free from government control. Iowa families not politicians should be able to decide what medical decisions are best for them. I ask you to take a stand for the rights of Iowans and vote NO on any abortion restrictions in the upcoming special session.

Sarah Elgatian []

Banning abortion only puts more lives at risk. If this bill passes people will die, communities will suffer. There is no science to support this bill and there is no good conscious for those willfully endangering the lives of the people already living in our communities.

Angie Paschall []

Reproductive freedom is a fundamental human right that must be protected and upheld. The decision to have an abortion is deeply personal and should remain a choice made by a woman in consultation with her healthcare provider, free from political interference.It is disheartening and concerning that the Iowa Governor is attempting to undermine women's reproductive rights through the mechanism of a special session. This maneuver disregards the voices and needs of countless women in Iowa who rely on safe and legal abortion services. Such actions not only jeopardize women's health and wellbeing but also infringe upon their right to make decisions about their own bodies and futures.Specific to proposed HSB 255, I have strong objections. Infringement on Women's Autonomy: The proposed bill interferes with a woman's right to make personal decisions about her own body and reproductive health. It restricts her autonomy by imposing unnecessary regulations and requirements on access to abortion care.Arbitrary Detection of Fetal Heartbeat: The proposed bill prohibits abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is an arbitrary marker for determining the legality of abortion. It fails to consider other important factors, such as the viability of the fetus or the woman's individual circumstances, which should inform the decisionmaking process.Lack of Consideration for Women's Health: The proposed bill places unnecessary burdens on healthcare providers by mandating specific testing methods, such as abdominal ultrasounds, without medical justification. These requirements may increase costs and delays in accessing abortion care, potentially compromising the health and wellbeing of women.Insufficient Exceptions: While the proposed bill includes limited exceptions for cases of medical emergencies and certain fetal abnormalities, it fails to consider other crucial circumstances. It does not provide exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or situations where a woman's physical or mental health is at risk, disregarding the complexity and diversity of women's experiences.Disregard for Medical Professional Judgment: The proposed bill restricts physicians' ability to exercise their professional judgment in determining appropriate healthcare for their patients. It imposes rigid requirements on healthcare providers, undermining their ability to provide individualized care based on the specific needs and circumstances of each patient.Lack of Public Health Focus: Instead of prioritizing comprehensive sex education, accessible contraception, and comprehensive healthcare services, the bill focuses on restricting access to abortion. It disregards evidencebased approaches that help reduce unintended pregnancies and ensure women have the necessary resources and support for their reproductive health.By limiting access to safe and legal abortion care, the proposed bill puts women's health and lives at risk. It may lead to an increase in unsafe and illegal procedures, driving women to seek alternative and potentially dangerous methods of terminating pregnancies. It is crucial to respect and support women's choices regarding their own bodies, including the decision to seek abortion care.Additionally, it is deeply concerning that politicians are attempting to make decisions regarding women's healthcare through this proposed bill. Women's healthcare should be guided by medical professionals and individuals who have direct experience and expertise in the field, rather than being subjected to political agendas. Such interference undermines the integrity of the healthcare system and disregards the importance of personalized, evidencebased care for women. Women deserve the right to access comprehensive healthcare services without undue political interference, ensuring their wellbeing and reproductive autonomy are prioritized.Iowa can and should be better.

Ashley M. []

Legislators, I urge you to please vote "no" on this bill. As a young chronically ill woman, whose medical condition would make it very difficult to maintain a healthy pregnancy but that likely wouldn't be considered a "medical emergency" in your definition I am frightened and frustrated that this is the direction that you are trying to take to regress our state. I and any other woman should have access to abortion a scientific, proven, centuries old medical procedure. Women shouldn't have to experience a medical emergency or have been violated to access safe abortion procedures. I am glad that you are including these exceptions, but abortion should remain accessible for all, no matter what the reason is. It is a choice to be made between the pregnant woman, her family and her doctor. Women have always obtained abortions limiting them will just ensure that women pursue unsafe and deadly abortion procedures. Iowa's motto is, "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain." I implore you to please stand for this don't take us backwards. Don't be hypocritical and stand against freedom and safety. If you want to be prolife, fine, but please do so in a more constructive and helpful way expand access to contraceptives, mandate accurate and comprehensive sexual education, strengthen supports for struggling families, etc. There are other ways to fight for life that won't harm several people and effectively make women secondclass citizens. Please represent the will of the people most of whom when polled consistently oppose restrictions on abortions. Please see the attached image but from a poll conducted by the Des Moines Register & Mediacom Iowa in 2022 "Most Iowans, 61%, say abortion should be legal in most or all cases, while 33% say all or most cases should be illegal. Six percent are unsure." Clearly of these numbers, the majority of those polled support abortion access. Additionally, from the article "At least half of every demographic group supports it as well.... A huge majority of women favor legal abortion (72%), as do people under age 35 (69%)." If you want to represent your constituents and fight for the will of the people, put this issue on the ballot please stop talking to groups who don't represent a large portion of how Iowans feel on this issue. Additionally, our country and state were founded on the ideal of separation of Church and State. Most arguments against abortion are created for religious reasons, but all of us deserve to live our lives free from worry of religion interfering in politics and policies, and thus our lives. Some people have different religious beliefs than you, and some have none at all. Please stand for separation of Church and State, freedom for women, trusting women, trusting medical professionals, and healthcare. For these reasons, and others, I implore you to PLEASE vote "No" on this bill. Please listen to the majority on this issue who disagree with what you are trying to do. Thank you for your time and consideration. Ashley

Nick Bergus []

This bill outlawing abortion before the point most people would know they are pregnant will not lead to the end abortions in Iowa. This ban will lead to unsafe abortions. It will lead to unhealthy women. It will lead to babies, known to be unviable while still being carried to term, to die outside the womb. It will lead to dead wouldbe parents. It will lead to unwanted or unsupported children. It will lead to rape survivors being responsible for raising their rapists children.It will not protect the living.Instead it will force Iowans into childbirth.If we trust Iowans, we must trust them with their own bodies, planning their own parenthood and their own medical decisions. The majority of Iowans your constituents believe abortion should be legal and safe.Please oppose this bill.

LeaAnne Maines []

Every woman deserves a choice!

Rachel Blocker []

On the Morality of Abortion and RestrictionsAll the arguments that I typically hear in support of abortion restrictions can be divided into three categories: arguments that center around the past circumstances resulting in the pregnancy, arguments focused on the possible future outcomes of the pregnancy and personal religious and spiritual beliefs.Now I want you to imagine for a moment a woman who just walked into an abortion clinic seeking abortion services. You dont know who she is or any details of her life other than that she is 6 weeks pregnant. I want you to imagine that you can freeze that moment in time. Now, at that moment, isolated in time, independent of what happened in the past or what could happen in the future, I want you to consider how you would justify giving that embryo more rights than that woman. That embryo is physically incapable of perceiving any stimuli or having any level of consciousness. The woman, on the other hand, is a fully sentient person with thoughts and feelings, hopes and dreams. Why shouldnt her feelings matter more than an embryo that has none? Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. If you have more empathy for an embryo than you do for a sentient person, youre doing it wrong. Quite frankly, its infuriating to be on the brink of losing my rights in preference to an embryo.The specific circumstances leading to a pregnancy are completely irrelevant in conversations about abortion. Any objections to abortion that are in any way conditional on the past circumstances resulting in the pregnancy have nothing at all to do with the inherent morality or immorality of abortion and everything to personal views on the morality of sex. Any considerations brought into conversations about reproductive rights that seek to cast shame on some more than others based on their perceived level of innocence or purity are deeply sexist and patriarchal in nature. These ideologies are very harmful to the wellbeing of women and girls.Arguments made against abortion that are based on the possible future of the pregnancy if it were to be continued are equally null and void. Yes, the pregnancy could result in a child if it were to continue but it isnt that now. The same could be said that every individual egg and sperm has the potential to create a child. We have no more moral obligation to a non sentient embryo than we do to individual egg and sperm cells. Now, the only option left is that your objections could be based on your personal religious and spiritual beliefs. If you believe in some fashion that an embryo has a soul or that it has a destiny or something along those lines, thats fine. You are perfectly entitled to your personal beliefs. You just arent allowed to legislate that others adhere to them. That is a violation of the right to religious freedom we are granted by the First Amendment of the Constitution.If you encountered a young woman about to take the abortion pills mifepristone and mifeprostol and end a pregnancy, would you take them from her with your own hands as she cried and pleaded with you not to?I think, much like there is a disconnect between death when you cause it with the push of a button as opposed to strangling someone with your own hands, I think there is a disconnect here as well. I think a lot of voters and the lawmakers they elect that are seeking to enact extreme restrictions on reproductive rights would have a hard time if they had to go out there and enforce it themselves. Just because they effect this through political processes does not make them any less guilty of injustice than if they did it with their own hands. I Shouldnt Have to Say This But 3rd Graders Shouldnt Be Forced to Have Their Rapists BabiesIn a political debate before the last election, Governor Kim Reynolds opponent Deidre DeJear shared a personal story about encountering a 3rd grader who was 3 months pregnant. Governor Reynolds only response was to decry that an abortion at that point would be a late term abortion. Governor Reynolds clearly indicated her position was that a 3rd grader should be forced to continue a pregnancy. This is dangerous and its an extreme position even by her own partys standards. Kim Reynolds is a fanatic who would willfully sacrifice actual children at the altar of the unborn.This is not what Iowans want. 61% of Iowans polled recently indicated that they wanted abortion to be legal in most or all cases. I cant even imagine what that percentage would be if they were asked if a 3rd grader should be allowed to have an abortion.Iowans dont want rape victims to be forced to carry and give birth to their rapists babies and while there is an exception for rape in this bill, it still requires victims to report their rapes within 45 days in order to qualify for that exception. Victims should not be forced to disclose their assaults against their wishes. They should not be burdened with hoops to jump through in order to get abortion care.And most egregiously, I would like to point out that I see nothing in this proposed bill that would exempt the 3rd grader in this example from having to comply with the 45 day requirement to report a rape. Since her pregnancy was not discovered until 3 months in, under this law, she would be forced to continue this traumatic pregnancy. Given the victims age, this pregnancy would be extremely high risk but this proposed bill specifically forbids age from being considered as a health exception . This 3rd grader would not be allowed to have an abortion until her life and health were in imminent danger at which point it could already be too late.The overwhelming majority of Iowans dont want to see a 3rd grader put in that situation. But this bill, if it is approved, would do just that. What other horrible situations will arise out of this legislation if we rush to make it law without carefully considering all the implications? This issue should not be rushed to a vote. In order to do what is best for Iowans you need to take the time to listen to what Iowans want and thoroughly consider this issue and all its complexities. Layla Houshmands StoryI first heard Layla Houshmand tell her story in a podcast series called Crossing the Line. I encourage you to look it up and listen to it but Ill summarize her story hereLayla woke up one morning with a severe headache, nausea and extremely impaired vision in one eye. She went to an ophthalmologist. During the exam, she vomited every time a light was shone in her eye. She recounted throwing up approximately twenty times during this appointment that lasted only an hour. Layla, having a Ph. D. in a medical field, recognized this as a symptom of increased intracranial pressure, similar to what happens when someone has a concussion. An ophthalmologist diagnosed that she was having a stroke in the optic nerve of her eye. She was told this condition was caused by her pregnancy.She was then also told that there was nothing they could do for her because she was 8 weeks pregnant and the only course of treatment could be harmful to her pregnancy. They told her to go home, take a baby aspirin and come back in a week. They refused her treatment and instead prioritized her pregnancy. Furthermore, the physician did everything possible to avoid bringing up abortion as an option or even saying anything that might lead her to that conclusion.Layla, however, did come to that conclusion, so she called her gynecologist's office seeking an immediate abortion so she could be treated for her condition. The receptionist argued with her, refused to get a doctor on the phone and dismissed telling her that she should "take tylenol with some ice water."Left absolutely on her own to figure this out, in the mid afternoon, knowing that they would be closing soon, she called a local abortion clinic. They agreed to see her immediately and treated her compassionately and without delay. Layla described feeling like, for the first time since her condition started, that she was treated like the patient, not her pregnancy.Only after her abortion was she finally able to receive the care she needed. She traveled across state lines to one of only a handful of emergency ophthalmologists in the country. Only then did she learn how much peril she was in when they explained to her that the condition could have spread to her brain causing permanent damage or even death. They told her that she did the right thing seeking an immediate abortion. They told her that if she had come to them still pregnant, they too would not have treated her.Layla Houshmand described her ordeal by saying that she felt like a second class citizen inside of her own body. She is now legally blind in one eye and left to wonder if that would have been the case if she had received the care she needed in a more timely fashion.I know that Layla Houshmand's story sounds like some nightmare that probably happened in Texas over the course of the last year, but no.This happened in the Spring of 2021. Before the Fall of Roe.In Maryland. A state that is relatively friendly to reproductive rights. Can you imagine how much worse this could have been in a post Roe world? In a state that does not protect reproductive rights? And yet, our Governor and many of our legislators want to go backwards from that?THIS is why the government should stay out of reproductive healthcare. Because sometimes we have a hard enough time as it is getting the care we need and deserve. The last thing we need is more obstacles and barriers!THIS is why we need bodily autonomy, among other reasons of course. People should be able to make decisions about their lives and bodies for any reason they see fit. Not just in life threatening situations.I know that many people are going to point to this bill and say Oh but we have exceptions for the health and life of the mother so its fine! No, it is NOT FINE. Remember, Layla Houshmand did not even need to qualify for an exception. She was well within her rights to have an abortion for any reason. And yet, she was still needlessly placed in peril by a society that systematically devalues women.To highlight this point, Ill add that an in depth investigation conducted by ProPublica and National Public Radio in 2017 found that out of all the funding grants earmarked for maternal and child health only 6 percent of them are allocated to the health of mothers. This alarming statistic highlights the seriousness of the maternal health crisis in the U.S. Our society continually values womens capacity for making humans more than it values women as humans themselves.Layla and her husband have no immediate plans of starting a family because they are terrified of going through another traumatic experience. I have heard many stories of people living under these extreme bans saying that they want to start a family but are delaying doing so because they are afraid of being needlessly put in danger. Rather than forcing people to have children they dont want, maybe we should focus on making sure that people who want to have children feel safe and secure enough to do so! Debunking Myths and Impacts on Marginalized CommunitiesNo conversation about reproductive rights is complete without an honest look at the impacts of reproductive rights on minority communities those with disabilities. Antiabortion activists are quick to point at one of Planned Parenthoods founding members, Margaret Sanger they often exaggerate these claims and overall fail to miss the bigger picture.Sanger did a lot of work to bring birth control to disadvantaged and minority communities. Sanger saw uncontrolled fertility as a burden to these impoverished communities and birth control as a vital tool to help improve the wellbeing of those people. There is little reason to believe her work on this was racist in nature. In fact, as she saw it, ignoring these communities would have been racist. There is no evidence to suggest that she used any coercive means or forced anyone to use birth control.There are many unfounded claims about Sanger including blatantly racist remarks attributed to her which have been fabricated. However, it is true that Sanger did endorse Buck v. Bell, the Supreme Court ruling that opened the door for 60,000 forced sterilizations, a disproportionate number of them being ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. Planned Parenthood today denounces Sangers belief in eugenics.Antiabortion activists want you to believe that giving people A CHOICE is somehow racially motivated but thats just not true. Full and free exercise of reproductive rights empowers and improves lives. It is critical that marginalized groups of people are not further disadvantaged by unplanned pregnancies.Forced reproduction and eugenics are two sides of the same coin. The decision of whether or when to have children is a deeply personal choice. Throughout all of human history, no one who has sought to limit or control the free exercise of reproductive rights has EVER been the good guy. My Own Abortion StoryMy own abortion story is not unique or traumatizing in any way. I am a very typical example of the almost one out of four women who has an abortion in their lifetime. I was in my young 20s, I was going to school, working part time and doing volunteer work as well.Half of all the women who get abortions were using some form of birth control that failed when they became pregnant and that is what happened to me. I tried to be responsible and do the right thing. I made an appointment and went in to get on birth control. I really wanted and strongly felt that a long term and low maintenance option would be best for me, but I couldnt afford to pay the 800.00 out of pocket for those options. I was also told if my insurance covered ANY form of birth control, I was not eligible for financial assistance either. Thats because we DO NOT ADEQUATELY FUND BIRTH CONTROL PROGRAMS! My insurance covered prescription birth control pills so that was the only option I had.Some people seem to think that no one should ever need an abortion because we have birth control. Just take the pill! they say as if theyre Flintstones chewables. In reality, its just not that simple. I, like so many other women, experienced awful side effects with the pill. It made me so horribly nauseous that I could not function in my day job. But I also worked an on call shift overnights which meant I had to resort to taking it basically when I could. Just based on my schedule sometimes that meant I was taking the pills 18 hours apart, sometimes closer to 36. What I didnt know was that it is VERY important to take pills at the same time everyday in order for them to work. I didnt know that. On top of that, Ill admit that amidst my chaotic schedule I did miss a few doses over a period of several months. Because, you know what, Im not perfect.But hey, at least I tried. My partner at that time never so much as asked me if I was on any birth control let alone offer to wear condoms. And thats an experience many women and girls have. 90% of the birth control market is targeted for women, purchased by women and used by women. Women are already carrying an unequal burden of pregnancy prevention. Now you are telling us if we dont execute our birth control usage perfectly that we will be forced to risk our health, our lives and our happiness in order to bear an unequal share of the consequences as well. This is unacceptable.When I experienced this unintended pregnancy I knew I was not prepared to be a parent and my partner agreed with that decision. Women who have abortions are characterized as being irresponsible, but for abortion felt like it was the responsible choice.When I had my abortion, I was told I was 5 and a half weeks pregnant. I dont know if there was a heartbeat or not. But I know from first hand experience how hard it is to meet a 6 week limit because I only just barely might have made it under that limit. According to a scientific study published in 2017, the average gestational age a woman finds out she is pregnant is 5.5 weeks. This gives the average woman just days to make a decision, make an appointment (if she can get one) and make it into a clinic (if she can even afford it on such short notice). Worse still, at least one out of three women will not know they are pregnant until after six weeks. A ban after six weeks is an undue burden. It just isnt enough time.Besides that, banning abortions at six weeks using the justification of a heartbeat is extremely arbitrary and medically inaccurate. There is no heart, no chambers and no blood being pumped. Its just electrical signals. There isnt even an actual sound being made. The machine that detects this heartbeat isnt amplifying a sound. Its detecting the electrical signals and translating that into a sound.And for the record, like 95% of all women, I have never regretted my abortion decision. Healthcare ProvidersWhat about the healthcare providers? We have seen in other states already the impact these bans have on our healthcare professionals. When we put them in a difficult situations where they have to decide between what is best for their patients and protecting themselves from legal action or losing their license they often times will just leave and go work in another state. When we start losing our much needed healthcare professionals, womens live will be at risk as well as their pregnancies, thus jeopardizing the very lives Governor Reynolds claims

Keri Diedrich []

I am AGAINST this ban. Please protect women's rights over their own bodies. There are so many variables involved in this important life decision and it should be up to the person who will bear the responsibility...the pregnant woman.