Iowa-based pro-life group disappointed in Iowa Supreme Court ruling on heartbeat bill

DES MOINES — Maggie DeWitte  of Pulse Life Advocates, formerly Iowa Right to Life, had this reaction to the decision today that denied the removal of an injunction against the 2018 law that would limit abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected.

“Profoundly disappointed. You know, we already passed a heartbeat bill once. And that law would have saved an estimated 2000 Iowans lives every year,” she says.

DeWitte says the recent election that kept Republicans in control of all branches of state government showed Iowans support the bill. “We affirmed that decision by reelecting our governor, and a legislature that’s, you know, committed to protecting innocent children in the womb. And so it’s very disappointing. You know, lawmaking is the job of the people’s elected representatives, and not unelected judges,” DeWitte says. 

There is the possibility that the governor could call a special session to pass the bill again. “I would be supportive of that, the quicker that we can get the next step going in terms of saving innocent human lives, we would be supportive of that 100 percent,” she says. 

DeWitte says the overturning of the US Supreme Court decision making abortion legal one year ago has opened the door to move forward, and they will continue to work on ending abortion. “We have a long way to go. And that’s why groups like Pulse Life Advocates and others in the life community are working every day tirelessly to change hearts and minds,” DeWitte says. “And it goes back to the simple idea that all human life is valuable and dignity and therefore should be protected.”

Planned Parenthood will hold a news conference this afternoon to respond to the ruling.