Martin Cannon is one of several senior counsel at the Thomas More Society. He defended Iowa’s Heartbeat law, which he said was enacted by the People of Iowa through their elected representatives and their elected governor.
“That law was struck down when the unelected justices, five of them, our Supreme Court, discovered, invented, inserted into the Iowa Constitution a fundamental right to an abortion where it had never previously existed,” Cannon said. “That, effectively for all practical purposes, took the matter of abortion out of your consideration. And, forever.”
Cannon pointed out that throughout America’s history, and the state of Iowa’s, the definition of homicide in all of its forms was left up to legislators.
“And plainly, the constraints on the killing of a fully human, living, unborn child belong there also,” he said. “The amendment in question does not prohibit abortion, it simply retains among the People the right to debate that question and pass laws accordingly. No one should be afraid of that.”
For those reluctant to support the measure, Cannon gave warning.
“If we simply accept the court’s overreach, we relegate ourselves, us and you (legislators) to passing half measures on this and any other issue,” he said. “Then crawling across the street and begging the Court’s acceptance. The amendment in question is a reminder to the Court that it gets its powers from us, and it gets its limitations from us also.
“To retain your, our dominant role in our self-governance, it is imperative that all of you, Democrat and Republican, pro-life and pro-choice, support this amendment.”
