The six-week abortion, or Fetal Heartbeat ban legislation that passed last week in an Iowa Legislator’s special session, called by the state’s Republican Governor, Kim Reynolds, is on HOLD!
While the very right-of-center Iowa Governor was signing the bill last Friday, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and other pro-women-rights groups filed a request for an injunction in Polk County District Court with Judge Joseph Seidlin, who granted the request, thus blocking the “Fetal Heartbeat Bill,” from taking affect.
While the legalities continue, abortion up to 20 weeks is still legal and available in Iowa. Governor Reynolds made an unsuccessful attempt in 2018 to pass an abortion bill, which ended in Iowa’s Supreme Court ruling against the bill. This current run at passing an abortion ban is now in court, which could take months…or years.
The push for abolishing abortion entirely in America is coming from several well organized and heavily funded, ultra right-wing groups. These groups frankly, use the emotional abortion issue to rally people to the Republican party - this strategy has been in place for many, many years with success.
The Family Leadership Conference 2023, in Des Moines last week drew thousands of evangelical christians. Republican candidates were featured speakers, including DeSantis, Pence, Haley, Scott, Hutchinson… and presenting to the crowd with Tucker Carlson tossing questions as moderator.
This is not a one-off in Iowa or in any other state. Every campaign, and the events like the Family Leadership Group are backed by powerful organizations in this country whose goal is to put elected representatives in Congress who will work for issues that are of importance to the sponsoring organizations.
Back in the early 1980s, in my early days in Democratic politics in Iowa, groups like The Family Leadership came to Iowa to make republican voters out of as many folk as possible. There were religious groups touting Creationism, others injected fear into public schools and libraries by running campaigns in small towns to remove certain books from the shelves. And abortion developed as the biggest scare and anti-woman tactic in politics.
The very organized effort we just experienced here in Iowa over abortion is not new. Abortion is a proven political campaign tool. Lots of fear, lots of money….
Although the '24 elections are still 16 months away I sincerely hope the issue bites all those wingers in the ass.
There's no way sensitive matters won't be politicized. I realized the numbers of Atheists is growing by the day. I can only suggest we don't forget our humanity, and connection with the Divine