(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has changed a Senate-passed bill that would require showing videos about pregnancy and fetal development to students in high school and earlier grades. One change would forbid schools from using educational materials that come from any entity that promotes or performs abortions or makes referrals for abortions. Representative Helena Hayes of New Sharon and other House Republicans approved that restriction, which would target Planned Parenthood. “What we choose to reveal to our children will echo in the decisions we make tomorrow,” Hayes said. “…I want to remind us all that to teach a child to see life is to value it.” Representative Austin Baeth, a Democrat from Des Moines, says that restriction means Iowa schools would not be able to use material from places like the Mayo Clinic.

“When you ban facts, as this bill does, what fills the void are falsehoods and unproven beliefs,” Baeth said. “This bill opens the door to indoctrination.” Last year, the Iowa House approved similar legislation that called for showing the “Baby Olivia” video developed by an anti-abortion group. This year’s bill does not directly mention the video, but calls for showing a high-quality, computer-generated animation to students in grades four through eight. Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat of Ames, says that’s clearly a reference to the Baby Olivia video. “This cartoon is not based on medicine or science,” she said. “The narrator describes the cartoon character’s actions with words such as playing, exploring…Those words assigns traits and properties to a fetus that just aren’t there yet.”

Hayes responded, “You want truth. I’m here to tell you that truth has a heartbeat. This bill isn’t teaching about abortion,” Hayes said. “…It allows students to witness human development.”

The bill now goes back to the Senate for consideration of the House changes.