A bill that was quickly passed by both the Iowa House and Senate before the 2020 legislative session was adjourned Sunday requires a waiting period for women considering getting an abortion.

District 47 Representative Phil Thompson of Jefferson says the legislation requires a 24-hour waiting period to get an abortion, following an initial consultation. Thompson – who voted in favor of the bill – says the Legislature passed a 72-hour time period that was struck down by the Iowa Supreme Court in 2018. However, he doesn’t believe that if the bill is signed into law, the courts will stop it.

Thompson notes the House debate on this bill was emotionally charged at times.

“There are lots of personal and philosophical values that conflict when you talk about legislation like this. At the end of the day if a woman has the right to an abortion that’s one thing, but we just want to make sure that they’re giving it great thought, and I know that people that are in difficult situations like this are. But we just want to make sure that all of the factors are considered both medically and what’s at stake.”

The waiting period amendment was added after the House failed to pass a constitutional amendment nullifying abortions before the session adjourned. It’s now awaiting Governor Kim Reynolds’ signature to become law. To hear more from Thompson about this and other legislative topics listen to today’s Community State Bank in Paton Let’s Talk Greene County program.