Republicans on the Judiciary Committee in the Iowa Senate have approved a bill that would “defund” Planned Parenthood. It would direct Iowa Medicaid patients to other facilities for services like reproductive health exams and contraceptives. Senator Amy Sinclair, a Republican from Allerton, drew applause from abortion opponents as she explained why she’s advancing the bill.
The committee room was packed, wall-to-wall, with people who supported and opposed the legislation. All five Democrats on the committee voted against the bill. Senator Nate Boulton, a Democrat from Des Moines, says he doesn’t think the 2016 campaign was focused on “defunding Planned Parenthood services.”
The bill is now eligible for debate in the full, 50-member Senate.
