New abortion restrictions will soon be law in Iowa. The Iowa Senate has given final legislative approval to a bill banning nearly all abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy. Governor Terry Branstad has signaled he’ll approve it. Republican Senator Tom Costello of Imogene made a final pitch before senators voted on the measure.
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Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, says that three-day waiting period is an “insult” to women.
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Republican legislators also intend to “defund” Planned Parenthood. In February, the Republican-led senate voted to forbid Iowa Medicaid patients from getting exams or contraceptives at facilities or from doctors who perform abortion. House Republicans are tacking a similar proposal onto a budget bill.