At the end of a daylong, emotionally charged special session at the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines on Tuesday, Iowa Republicans sent a near-total abortion ban to Gov. Kim Reynolds.
In the Iowa House, 56 Republicans voted in favor of House File 732 which would prohibit abortions once cardiac activity is detected. (Cardiac activity being defined as "the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart within the gestational sac.")
In the Iowa Senate, 32 Republicans voted for the bill which mirrors 2018 legislation most-recently shot down by the Iowa Supreme Court this past month. Not a single Democratic state legislator, in either chamber, voted for the legislation. Two Republicans voted against the measure in the House while one, Mike Klimesh, Spillville, voted against H.F. 732 in the Senate.
The Journal rounded up the votes from Siouxland legislators and included comment from several about why they voted the way they did.
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Iowa State Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, center, at the statehouse during his first week as a legislator. Seated directly across from him …
Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, District 1
Vote on abortion bill: Did not vote.
Reason for vote: "I wasn't able to make it for scheduling," Scholten said via text. "I would have been a strong 'no' vote."
Rep. Zach Dieken, R-Granville, center, during his first week at the Iowa State Capitol in January 2023. The first-term Dieken defeated an incu…
Rep. Zach Dieken, R-Granville, District 5
Vote on abortion bill: No.
Reason for vote: Dieken wrote the following in conservative outlet The Iowa Standard: “I’m afraid the bill is window dressing to make ourselves feel good about ultimately falling short to act on this issue. All of these factors combined are why the “Heartbeat Bill” in my opinion won’t do what its supporters claim. Abortion is the murder of another human being – an innocent child. Roe has been overturned, the Iowa Supreme Court has ruled there is no right to an abortion in Iowa. So why aren’t we courageous enough to project the lives of innocent children?”
Rep. Megan Jones, at right, during a session in the Iowa Legislature on Thursday. Jones, a five-term representative from Sioux Rapids, was one…
Rep. Megan Jones, R-Sioux Rapids, District 6
Vote on abortion bill: Yes.
Reason for vote: "It's as simple as this: my constituents."
Jacob Bossman
Rep. Jacob Bossman, R-Sioux City, District 14
Vote on abortion bill: Yes.
Reason for vote: "I am proud to have supported the Fetal Heartbeat bill. I believe we took a reasonable and thoughtful approach to the highly passionate and controversial issue of abortion. The abortion restrictions in this bill do have exceptions in the case of rape, incest, life of the mother, or fetal abnormality incompatible with life. I know there are some who believe this bill doesn’t go far enough and some that believe it is too far. But I believe many Iowans are somewhere in between the two extremes on this issue and that this bill represents a reasonable compromise many Iowans can get on board with."
Jeff Taylor is a Republican who resides in Sioux Center and represents Senate District 2. He is a political science professor and in his first…
Sen. Jeff Taylor, R-Sioux Center, District 2
Vote on bill: Yes.
Reason for vote:
"If we’re going to pass this law, which I hope we do, what can we do to make sure that the support that we give to women who are faced with this decision, and we’re saying you have to move forward with the pregnancy even if they don’t want to, what can we do to help them in that situation? I do think we have an obligation."
First-term State Sens. Kevin Alons, third from left, and Lynn Evans, fourth from left, attend a hearing at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moine…
Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, District 3
Vote on bill: Yes.
Reason for vote:
"Tuesday was a historic day in our state and I was humbly honored to be a part of passing House File 732. Once signed into law, this legislation will save thousands of lives each year.:"
Sen. Kevin Alons, R-Salix, District 7
Vote on bill: Excused absence.
Bob Henderson, candidate for Iowa House District 2, receives a standing ovation, including from former Iowa Congressman Steve King, left, befo…
Rep. Bob Henderson, R-Sioux City, District 2
Vote on bill: Yes.
Rep. Tom Jeneary, R-Le Mars, District 3
Vote on bill: Yes.
Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, District 4
Vote on bill: Yes.
Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, District 10
Vote on bill: Yes.
Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, District 12
Vote on bill: Yes.
Rep. Ken Carlson, R-Onawa, District 13
Vote on bill: Yes.
Carlson
Sen. Rocky De Witt, R-Lawton, District 1
Vote on bill: Yes.
Sen. Dave Rowley, R-Spirit Lake, District 5
Vote on bill: Yes.
Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, District 6
Vote on bill: Yes.
The Journal's Jared McNett contributed to this story.