Republicans at the Iowa statehouse have advanced a bill that would “defund” Planned Parenthood, as a large crowd of Planned Parenthood backers chanted and protested the move.
The bill that cleared a senate SUBcommittee would no longer allow Medicaid patients to get contraception, cancer screenings or reproductive health tests at Planned Parenthood. Medicaid patients would be required to go to OTHER clinics for those services. Republicans at the state and national level have made “defunding” Planned Parenthood a priority. Joan Thompson of the Iowa Catholic Conference urged legislators in Iowa to make that move.
Suzanna de Baca of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland told legislators teen pregnancy rates will rise if the bill becomes law.
Governor Terry Branstad has said he’d sign the legislation and Senate Republicans have said this bill is one of their top four priorities. The next stop for debate on this proposal is a senate committee.
