In 2018 the Iowa legislature passed a bill to protect unborn babies once a heartbeat is detected. The law became known as the heartbeat bill. And it has since gained traction across the country.
Pro-life Iowans celebrated the bill. The courts ruled against the law, of course, but it was a win nonetheless.
That was 2018.
Pro-life legislation did not get passed in 2019. There were a few options — Alfie’s Law, fetal homicide and a constitutional amendment stating there is no right to an abortion — but none of them passed.
Pro-life Iowans have routinely wondered what Republicans are likely holding up pro-life legislation. An easy, and fair, place to start is the list of Republicans in the Iowa House who voted against the heartbeat bill.
Representative Chip Baltimore voted against it, but he did not seek re-election.
Representative Andy McKean voted against it, but he changed from the Republican Party to the Democrat Party in 2019.
That leaves four Iowa House Republicans who voted against the heartbeat bill.
Representative Jane Bloomingdale (R-Northwood) voted against the bill. Bloomingdale did not vote on the 20-week abortion ban in 2017.
Bloomingdale was not challenged in the 2018 primary after voting against the heartbeat bill.
She was elected in 2016. The Iowa Republican Party contributed $54,644 to her 2016 campaign. In 2018 she received $14,080.16 after voting against the heartbeat bill.
Representative Lee Hein (R-Monticello) voted against the bill. Hein voted yes on the 20-week abortion ban in 2017.
He did not face a primary challenge after voting against the heartbeat bill.
Hein was first elected in 2010. In 2010 he received $124,443 from the Iowa Republican Party and $13,310 from the Republican Party of Iowa, according to Ballotpedia.
In 2018, after voting against the heartbeat bill, the Republican Party of Iowa contributed $6,349.97. It gave him $3,457 in 2016.
Representative David Maxwell (R-Gibson) voted against the bill. Maxwell also voted against the 20-week abortion ban in 2017.
Maxwell would have had a primary challenger in 2018 if not for filing errors.
In 2012 Maxwell won election to the Iowa House. The Iowa Republican Party contributed $234,006 in that election cycle to his campaign. He received $7,554.41 for his 2018 general election from the Republican Party of Iowa.
Representative Louis Zumbach (R-Coggon) voted against the bill. Zumbach voted yes on the 20-week abortion ban in 2017.
He did not face a primary challenge.
According to Ballotpedia, the Iowa Republican Party contributed $447,164 to Zumbach’s campaign in 2016.
Zumbach received $254,434.64 from the Republican Party of Iowa in 2018, after voting against the heartbeat bill.
McKean, who defected to the Democrats, received $3,267.50 from the Republican Party of Iowa in 2018 after voting against the heartbeat bill.
In total, the five Republicans who voted against the heartbeat bill in 2017, received $285,686.68 from the Republican Party of Iowa in 2018.
All of that despite the 2016 Iowa GOP platform stating:
“The Right to Life shall be understood to include all people from conception to natural death.”
That line appeared in its No. 1 platform principle. The 2018 RPI platform repeated the same language.
