Iowa is considering a proposal to keep late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart out of the state.
Carhart has announced plans to open shops in Iowa, Indiana, and Maryland so he can perform late-term abortions in those states. That move came after Nebraska passed a fetal pain bill prohibiting them, forcing him to relocate from Omaha.
Iowa State Representative Matt Windschitl (R) says the Nebraska bill put into law the medical fact that babies can feel pain at 20 weeks, perhaps sooner.
"Myself and many of my colleagues in the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate do not want Dr. Carhart bringing his practice in here to Iowa," he explains, "and we're going to do everything we can to make sure that we keep him out of our state because we believe that our constituents overwhelmingly support a ban on late-term abortions in the state of Iowa."
Windschitl plans to sponsor a bill that will incorporate some parts of the Nebraska bill along with "a few other aspects tied into it."
"We want to make sure that as we're crafting this legislation that it is the strongest legislation possible to ban late-term abortions, but also that will stand up under judicial scrutiny if it is challenged in court," says Windschitl.
The lawmaker adds that considering the makeup of the legislature and a Republican governor who has signed late-term abortion bans in the past, the Iowa bill will be the best approach to take to gain passage.
Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: January 2, 2011
