Branstad, Iowa Republicans ‘disappointed’ by Supreme Court ruling on Texas abortions

DES MOINES - Republican state leaders said they do not think Iowans or state lawmakers will be affected by Monday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Texas law that restricted the number of health care facilities that could provide abortions.

In a 5-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court negated a Texas law that required physicians who performed abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and required clinics to meet hospital-like standards.

No such restrictions exist in Iowa, although Republican state lawmakers have introduced similar legislation in recent years.

Branstad and Iowa House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, both Republicans, said they do not expect the ruling to have a significant impact in Iowa or their work at the Capitol.

'I'm disappointed that the Supreme Court made that decision,” said Branstad. 'I think that the states should have the right to determine those matters. This was a law that was unique to the state of Texas. But we believe the states ought to have the right to protect the safety and well-being of their citizens with regard to abortions.”

The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling said arguments in support of the Texas law did not provide sufficient evidence that the law is medically necessary.

Iowa Republicans have introduced bills similar to the now-struck Texas law, but those proposals did not pass Iowa's split-party-control Legislature.

Upmeyer said House Republicans this year focused on 'trying to expand access to health care for women.” Their proposal in 2016, which also did not pass, was to cut state funding to clinics that perform abortions, including Planned Parenthood, and send that money instead to women's health clinics that do not perform abortions.

'Texas and their legislators, I'm sure, listened to Texans and decided on a law they thought was good for Texas,” Upmeyer said. 'At the core of it, I think states are going to respond to things the public would like to look at.”

Branstad said he found the U.S. Supreme Court ruling similarly disappointing to a 2015 Iowa Supreme Court ruling that struck down the state's ban on telemedicine abortions.

'I was very disappointed when our Iowa Supreme Court sided with the Planned Parenthood against our Board of Medicine on telemed abortions. And we're one of the few states that has permitted telemed abortions. I think that was a bad decision,” Branstad said. 'I guess we'll have to analyze and review what impact (Monday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling) might have.”

In a statement, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland President and CEO Suzanna de Baca praised the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, calling Monday 'a great day.”

'The Supreme Court made it clear that politicians cannot pass laws to block access to safe, legal abortion,” de Baca said.