Planned Parenthood calls for protests as Iowa Republicans prepare to pass new abortion ban

Abortion rights advocates are calling on supporters to show up in force to the Iowa Capital on Tuesday to protest a special session to pass new abortion restrictions.

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced on Wednesday she would call state legislators back to the statehouse on July 11 "with the sole purpose of enacting legislation that addresses abortion and protects unborn lives." Republicans currently hold majorities in the Iowa House and Senate.

In response, Planned Parenthood officials called on Iowans to protest at the capital and to contact their state legislator during the special session to protect abortion access.

"Regardless of our personal beliefs, we can all agree that Iowans deserve the right to control their futures and access to reproductive health care," Mazie Stilwell, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa, said during a press conference Thursday. "Now is the time for Iowans to raise their voices and hold their elected officials accountable for every vote they take in their march to take away our rights and bodily autonomy."

More: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds calls special session to 'fight against the inhumanity of abortion'

Why did Kim Reynolds call a special session?

The rare special session is scheduled to take place less than a month after the Iowa Supreme Court deadlocked 3-3 in a major abortion case, permanently blocking the so-called fetal heartbeat ban. The 2018 law, if it had gone into effect, would have banned abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.

Because of the tie, the justices' opinions on the case hold no value as court precedent. As a result, there's little clarity on what sort of legal standard the courts will use to examine abortion restrictions in the future.

Currently, abortion is legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.

More: Iowa Supreme Court's tie vote on 6-week abortion ban puts focus on Justice Dana Oxley

Reynolds, a Republican, criticized the court's inaction earlier this week, saying it "disregards the will of Iowa voters and lawmakers who will not rest until the unborn are protected by law."

Planned Parenthood advocates on Thursday said Reynolds is pushing her own agenda by calling the special session to pass abortion restrictions that are not supported by most Iowans. Stilwell pointed to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll from March that found 61% of Iowans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Thirty-five percent say the procedure should be illegal in all or most cases.

"This is something that is shown time and time again to be against the will of Iowans," Stilwell said. "This would certainly be the moment for Iowans who have a vested interest in their own reproductive freedom to be showing up at the Capitol and mobilizing with us. We welcome them and we'll be bringing them along with us."

Mark Stringer, the executive director of ACLU of Iowa, which has previously taken Reynolds to court over proposed abortion restrictions, called on state lawmakers to vote on any proposed policies "with the best interests of their constituents in mind."

"It will be our state legislators who decide what bill ends up on Gov. Reynold's desk once the special session is finished next week," Stringer said in a statement. "...They can make their own decisions, free from divisive and harmful national politics, and instead, with loyalty to our constitution and to our people."

Planned Parenthood is 'prepared to fight' new bans

It's unclear what type of ban lawmakers will pursue next week. Some lawmakers may be content to pass a restriction similar to the 2018 law, which would have banned abortions when the first cardiac impulses can be detected in an embryo, or at about six weeks. Others may want to go further and pass stricter bans.

Regardless of the final law Republicans pass, Planned Parenthood said it is prepared to take the state to court to block abortion restrictions.

"We recognize that any ban is going to be extremely harmful to Iowans, and so we're prepared to fight that process if that's what it comes to after this session next week," said Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, during the press conference.

How are Planned Parenthood, other abortion advocates responding?

Planned Parenthood North Central States will continue to provide abortions in Iowa as long as it is legal to do so.

Health system officials said this week they will continue to move forward with their plan to expand abortion services at the Planned Parenthood clinics in Ames, Cedar Rapids, Omaha and at the Susan Knapp Health Center in the Drake neighborhood of Des Moines.

Last month, due to ongoing staff shortages and rising costs, Planned Parenthood is closing three Iowan locations in an effort to consolidate resources. Those clinics are located in Cedar Falls, Council Bluffs, and the south side of Des Moines.

The Iowa Abortion Access Fund, which provides financial assistance to Iowans seeking abortion care, will continue to offer resources to Iowans in the event a ban goes into effect, said Leah Vanden Bosch, the fund's development and outreach director.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, Planned Parenthood North Central States leaders have said they've performed 9% more abortions throughout its region, which includes Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa.

At the same time, the number of patients traveling from other regions to seek abortions has risen 100% as other states have enacted strict bans in the past year.

Iowans have increasingly traveled out of state to access abortions, Richardson said.

Planned Parenthood clinics in Minnesota, where abortion access is protected by state law, have seen a 211% increase in Iowans traveling to the state for abortion. In 2022, 174 Iowans traveled to the state for the medical procedure, compared to 56 in 2021.

Still, Richardson said she is concerned a future abortion ban could have a negative impact on reproductive health care in Iowa overall.

"All health care is connected," Richardson said. "When you limit some forms of health care, you decrease access across the board to essential services."

Statehouse reporter Stephen Gruber-Miller contributed to this story.

Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at mramm@registermedia.com, at (319) 339-7354 or on Twitter at @Michaela_Ramm

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Planned Parenthood asks supporters to protest abortion special session