A controversial piece of legislation will once again be discussed during the Iowa general assembly, and was set out as a priority of Governor Kim Reynolds.

The constitutional amendment regarding abortion rights in the state is up for consideration, and Republican lawmakers feel confident it will make it through the 2020 session after failing to make it to the floor in 2019. State Senator Jake Chapman, (R) District 10, has been a leading voice on the issue from the beginning. He says when Reynolds emphasized the resolution in her opening remarks, it galvanized quick action from his colleagues. “Since that State of the State address, we’ve not only run a subcommittee on it, we have actually passed it out of committee and it is eligible for floor debate this coming week. So we’ll see how that progresses, but (there’s) 29 co-sponsors, (and) I’m the chief sponsor in the Senate. And so (we’re) very optimistic that that is going to be a top priority of this legislative session, at least from the Senate side.”

The amendment would change the section of Iowa Code that protects a woman’s right to an abortion under the Equal Protection Clause. If passed, it would read, “The constitution of the State of Iowa does not secure or protect a right to an abortion, or require the funding of an abortion.” However, it’s still several years away from being ratified, as it would also have to pass in the next general assembly, and then be put to a statewide election. The amendment was first proposed by Chapman after the controversial 72-hour wait period and “fetal heartbeat” bills regarding abortion were struck down by Iowa judges as unconstitutional.

To learn more about the current legislative session, click the link below to listen to the recent Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Chapman.

https://www.raccoonvalleyradio.com/2020/01/27/lets-talk-dallas-county-1-27-2020-jake-chapman/