Honesty is the best policy. And when legislators are attempting to make policy, honesty should be the expectation.
But is that what is happening in the debate over a proposed amendment to the Iowa Constitution?
If facts matter, then let’s start with what the proposed amendment actually says:
“To defend the dignity of all human life, and to protect mothers and unborn children from efforts to expand abortion even to the day of birth, we the people of Iowa declare: Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to recognize, grant, or secure a right to abortion or require the public funding of it.”
Now, as you can see, this is not a Personhood amendment. This is not an amendment that outlaws abortion. In fact, even its pro-life proponents acknowledge this amendment will not stop one single abortion from taking place in the state of Iowa.
All this amendment does is return power to the legislature to make laws related to abortion in the state of Iowa. This amendment opens the door to increasing access to the so-called “right” to an abortion. It also opens the door to stronger protections for innocent, unborn lives.
In essence, it gives the legislature the power to do its job — legislate.
The Iowa Supreme Court amended the Iowa Constitution when it ruled that the Iowa Constitution provides a fundamental right to an abortion. The precedent set in that case will essentially void any piece of pro-life legislation that passes the legislative process.
Yet the Democrats and their allies in the media are presenting this amendment as something it is not.
WHO-TV’s original headline read:
“Lawmakers Take Up Proposed Amendment to Ban Abortion in Iowa”
The Des Moines Register has a headline that says:
“Iowa anti-abortion amendment clears first hurdle”
House Rep. Vicki Lensing’s legislative newsletter says:
“Governor Reynolds in her State of the State address announced she will push to adopt a constitutional amendment to ban all abortions, even in cases for rape and incest.”
House Rep. Sharon Steckman’s legislative newsletter says:
“Other ideas outlined by the Governor include a constitutional ban on abortion.”
There is one simple question that these legislators and their co-conspirators in the media need to answer:
Where in this proposed amendment does it say abortion will be illegal in the state of Iowa?
Of course, these are the same folks who can’t answer where in the Iowa Constitution there’s a fundamental right to an abortion, so be prepared to wait a long time for an answer.
At the end of the day, if this proposed amendment passes the legislature in two general assemblies, it will be put before Iowans for a vote.
Regardless of how anyone feels about this issue, we should all hope Iowans make a decision based on truth and fact, not what the political Left and the Fake News media want them to think.
I trust Iowans to do their own homework on this proposed amendment. We’re smart enough to know what the amendment actually says and does.
But Iowans should also be able to trust their elected representatives to be honest with them. And that isn’t what is happening in this instance.
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