Iowa Senate approves constitutional amendment stating there is no right to abortion
(LifeSiteNews) – Iowa senators approved a proposed constitutional amendment [last] week declaring that the state constitution does not include a right to abortion.
The Senate passed the measure 30-18 on Wednesday [5/19], after the House approved it 54-38 the previous day. “To defend the dignity of all human life and protect unborn children, we the people of the State of Iowa declare that this Constitution does not recognize, grant, or secure a right to abortion or require the public funding of abortion,” the proposed amendment states.
Lawmakers introduced the measure in response to a ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court in 2018 holding that “implicit in the concept of ordered liberty,” under the state’s Constitution, “is the ability to decide whether to continue or terminate a pregnancy,” the Ames Tribune reported.
Republicans sharply rebuked the Court’s 2018 decision, with Republican state Sen. Jake Chapman calling it an “egregious usurpation of power” on Wednesday [5/19]. “Regrettably, five unelected judges with the stroke of a pen fabricated, fabricated a constitutional right to an abortion under Iowa’s constitution,” he said.
In 2026, Live Action is heading straight where the battle is fiercest: college campuses.
We have a bold initiative to establish 100 Live Action campus chapters within the next year, and your partnership will make it a success!
Your support today will help train and equip young leaders, bring Live Action’s educational content into academic environments, host on-campus events and debates, and empower students to challenge the pro-abortion status quo with truth and compassion.
Invest in pro-life grassroots outreach and cultural formation with your DOUBLED year-end gift!
“This egregious usurpation of power will not be left unchecked,” Sen. Chapman added, according to The Epoch Times. “It is our responsibility, it is our oath-bound duty to rightfully propose to the people of Iowa a constitutional amendment to correct this judicial overreach.”
Iowa law requires that the proposed amendment be published three months before being passed by the legislature of 2023-2024, the Times reported. Voters could then vote on the measure in the 2024 general election, or earlier, depending on the legislature.
While the amendment will not change federal abortion law, Republicans have heralded the proposal as another strong pro-life signal in a state that previously has defunded Planned Parenthood and banned abortion at around six weeks. “I’m proud that the Protect Life Amendment is one step closer to being on the ballot,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said. “This is an important step forward in defending the unborn and upholding the dignity of all human life.”
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published at LifeSiteNews and is reprinted here with permission.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Guest Column
