Iowa legislature approves strictest abortion bill in nation

… for those who say Republicans aren’t doing anything about abortion.

…..where well-meaning Republican lawmakers need to consult the reasoning behind Roe V. Wade and related cases. Six weeks does not meet the viability test in Roe, which was repeated in Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services in 1989. If the bill is signed into law, expect it to be heavily modified or rejected by the courts.

I’m as pro-life as anyone, but Republicans have got to get the reality of “binding precedent” through their heads so they can achieve more than just grandstanding.

…so they can achieve more than just grandstanding.

It’s amazing, Bert, that you have first hand knowledge of the motives of all of the republicans that support this measure.

[LGCarpenter]

…so they can achieve more than just grandstanding.

It’s amazing, Bert, that you have first hand knowledge of the motives of all of the republicans that support this measure.

Lavern, there are two alternatives here. Either these lawmakers have no clue about the legal doctrine of stare decisis and they need to be replaced, or they do understand it and they’re putting red meat out there for their constituents that will do nothing for the unborn while costing their states millions in legal fees. This is simple logic. Roe and Webster set out a test that abortion restrictions cannot be imposed before the fetus is viable, so until you’re confident of the votes on the Supreme Court to overturn both, you need to either pass laws that have a chance of passing Constitutional muster, or you need to admit you’re just foolish or grandstanding.

Nice potshot, though.

Perhaps the lawmakers are simply doing everything they can to protect human life. Why do you suggest, if the outcome isn’t certain through the courts, that they shouldn’t do anything at all?

Now you seem to be asserting that the Iowa pro-life lawmakers are stupid. That’s offensive.

There is no potshot intended, just an observation.

[LGCarpenter]

Perhaps the lawmakers are simply doing everything they can to protect human life. Why do you suggest, if the outcome isn’t certain through the courts, that they shouldn’t do anything at all?

Now you seem to be asserting that the Iowa pro-life lawmakers are stupid. That’s offensive.

There is no potshot intended, just an observation.

No, you made a potshot, so you might as well own it. And yes, I own it that I am suggesting that Iowa lawmakers are either ignorant of basic principles of the law, or they are tilting at windmills on the taxpayer dime. As a taxpayer, it is offensive to me when they do this kind of thing.

I’ll just say that I disagree highly with Bert’s accusations and won’t waste any further time on this discussion.

As an Iowan, I am glad for the courage of our legislators and governor to sign this bill into law, regardless of the possible legal outcome.

If I’m correct and this law goes down in flames, prepare for that to be used in the next election against the candidates you support. I understand the desire to stop abortion—and share it of course—but note that if the idea doesn’t have a chance in the courts, what you’ve achieved is to waste the legislature’s time and the taxpayers’ money tilting at windmills. You’ve also prevented the legislature from actually achieving some other useful end. There are simply some times when you heed your restraints instead of railing at them.

As far as things that state legislatures “waste time and money on”, this one stands pretty far down the list. Believe me, for most of these legislators this is not political grandstanding; I believe it takes political courage to vote for a bill like this. It is far, far, far more common for politicians to say they are pro-life to get Republican votes but then to do absolutely nothing about it once they get into office.

The irony is that these folks are getting quite a bit of criticism from some Christians who didn’t think the bill went far enough—that because it had an exception clause for rape or incest that these legislators are “caving” and still “killing babies.”