A proposed ban on abortions if the fetus has a detectable heartbeat is SCHEDULED for debate this (Wednesday) afternoon in a House committee. Republican Representative Shannon Lundgren of Peosta is the chief spokeperson for the proposal. “We ran on pro-life issues and I think our voters, our constituents are looking to us to make a very bold statement this year,” Lundgren says. Earlier this month the Republican-led Iowa Senate endorsed a ban on abortions after the 20th week of a pregnancy.

Democrats say a timeline that’s connected to the detection of a fetal heartbeat would set the ban at the fifth or sixth week of pregnancy, before some women realize they are pregnant. Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat from Ames says “This bill would take away a woman’s right to make her own medical decisions before she would have known she had a decision to make.”

House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake, the top Republican in the legislature, says there enough votes on the committee to pass the fetal heartbeat proposal. “Life is an important topic to Iowans,” Upmeyer says. “We hear that at the doors, at forums, so this is another opportunity to pass a bill, perhaps, that is a pro-life bill and we’ll see where it goes.” Wessel-Kroeschell says the bill would not grant exceptions if a pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. “The extreme legislation would make most safe, legal abortions illegal in Iowa,” Wessel-Kroeschell says. “Clearly, we are very concerned…This is an all-out assault on women and a sneak attack from Republicans at the last minute.”

This Friday is the deadline for an abortion policy bill to clear the House Human Resources Committee and Democrats complain the proposal was not revealed until Tuesday afternoon. Upmeyer says compared to the idea of passing an abortion ban based on the moment of conception, an abortion ban based on the time a heartbeat can be detected is an easier concept. “You know when that point in time is,” Upmeyer says. Lundgren says a heartbeat is a “concrete” measurement.

“Life at a heartbeat. It’s hard to deny it. It’s there,” Lundgren says. “…We use the detection of a heartbeat or lack of a heartbeat at the end of life. It makes common sense to use the detection of a heartbeat at the beginning of life.” Democrats say court challenges in two other states have derailed similar abortion bans that were based on the time a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Wessel-Kroeschell predicts this bill would face a similar fate if it becomes law in Iowa.

We can’t take away the decisions that women make about their health care,” Wessel-Kroeschell says. “It’s just not right.” G-O-P leaders in the House say Republicans at least want the proposal considered this year.

(O.Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)