William Petroski

Des Moines Register

Abortions would generally be banned in Iowa 20 weeks after fertilization under a bill advanced Tuesday by an Iowa Senate subcommittee, despite a tearful plea from a Waukee woman who terminated a pregnancy because the fetus had a rare genetic condition that was not survivable.

Senate File 53 was approved on a 2-1 vote, sending it to the Senate Human Resources Committee, where it faces an uncertain future as a pending legislative deadline approaches this week. Republican Sens. Mark Costello of Imogene and Mark Chelgren of Ottumwa voted yes, while Democratic Sen. Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City voted no.

The proposal says that except in the case of a medical emergency, an abortion could not be performed unless a doctor first made a determination of the probable post-fertilization age of the pregnancy. It would prohibit most abortions after 20 weeks. Fifteen states have adopted similar legislation. On Monday, a separate Senate panel panel advanced Senate File 253, which declares that life begins at conception in a bid to halt Iowa abortions.

Joan Thompson, a lobbyist for the Iowa Catholic Conference, spoke in support of the 20-week ban, suggesting it provides lawmakers with a rare opportunity to reform the state's abortion law. She said the United States is one of the most permissive countries in the world for abortion, and Iowa is part of that permissive culture. She was joined in supporting the bill by Eric Goranson of Des Moines, representing the Iowa Right to Life Committee.

Several other speakers strongly opposed the bill, including Amanda Acton of Waukee, who was joined by her husband, Tim. She told of being informed by her doctor at 21 weeks of pregnancy that her baby had a rare disorder and would not survive long, but would have an agonizing life. After a week of consideration, she and her husband concluded the most compassionate decision would be to terminate the pregnancy for their daughter, whom they named Leslie Elizabeth.

"I remember thanking God," Acton said. "I don't regret my abortion, not one little bit."

She added that lawmakers will not save lives with a 20-week abortion ban, explaining, "Sometimes terrible things happen." She and her husband hugged emotionally after she finished speaking.

The Rev. Julia Rendon of Crossroads United Church of Christ in Indianola also spoke against the legislation. "I appreciate that your intentions are humane. There are worse things than death. So I urge to stop this bill," she said.

Representatives of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, and the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa also spoke in opposition.

Bolkcom called the bill an "extreme abortion ban" that is disrespectful of women and the difficult choices they sometimes face. Abortions after 20 weeks are extremely rare, he added, suggesting, “The last person who needs to stick their nose into a family’s sad, tragic situation is a state senator."

Chelgren spoke in defense of the bill, remarking, "Babies are also human beings." If a baby can be born healthy after 20 weeks he said would like to protect the child. But he suggested the bill could be amended to address fetal abnormalities where a child could not survive outside the womb.