A bill that would ban abortions in Iowa after a fetal heartbeat can be detected cleared a Senate subcommittee after emotional and pointed testimony at a public hearing. Chuck Hurley is vice president of The Family Leader, an evangelical Christian group.
A doctor told lawmakers a fetal heartbeat may be detected as early as four weeks into a pregnancy. The Iowa Medical Society warned lawmakers the state’s only training program for O-B/G-Y-N doctors will be shut down if the bill becomes law.
Jamie Burch of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland says the bill “intentionally goes too far.”
If the bill becomes law, doctors found guilty of performing an abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy could be charged with a felony and face up to five years in prison.
