Pro-life activists march and pray to end abortions

By Rod Boshart, The Gazette Des Moines Bureau

DES MOINES - Several hundred pro-life activists braved January's wintry cold Saturday to rally at the state Capitol for an end to abortion and legislative action to limit taxpayer funds only to women's health care providers that do not include abortion procedures as part of their service options.

'Who's ready to be the voice for the voiceless?” said Jenifer Bowen, executive director of Iowa Right to Life, who later joined Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Dubuque Archbishop Michael Jackels, Janet Huckabee - wife of 2016 GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee - and others in marching from the Capitol steps to the Iowa Judicial Building for a prayer vigil.

Jackels said standing on the Capitol's west steps reminded him of Dr. Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream speech, noting his dream Saturday was 'there would come the day when we would not have to gather except to celebrate the gift of life and respect of life from the moment of conception to natural death.”

He called Saturday's observance in opposition to the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in America a gathering that was life affirming, pro life and pro woman.

'We can celebrate today that abortions in Iowa are at historic lows but our work is far from done,” noted Reynolds, who praised the Midwest March for Life participants for being champions of life and said she was proud to be part of 'the most pro-life administration in history.”

Branstad, who participated but did not speak at the rally, said he was present to show his support for the pro-life movement. The governor has said his 2016 legislative agenda calls for budget language to stipulate that taxpayer funds go only to women's health care providers that do not include abortion procedures as part of their service options.

The new provision effectively would end state funding of Planned Parenthood clinics, something that GOP legislators, pro-life groups and social conservatives have sought since a series of videos were released by an anti-abortion organization that purportedly show Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of organs from aborted fetuses.

Iowa officials say no state money goes for abortion services. But GOP lawmakers want to halt any government money going even indirectly to Planned Parenthood organizations in Iowa - something Branstad has said he supports but would not break the law or invite legal action by arbitrarily denying the private provider government grant money without a legal cause of action.

The Iowa governor says he is looking to redirect funds for family planning, pregnancy prevention, abstinence and other services to state and county health departments, community health centers, hospitals and physicians officers to provide important women's health services. The language - which Branstad said is similar to provisions adopted in other states - would not name Planned Parenthood but the effect would be to defund any abortion-services provider.

Sen. David Johnson, a pro-life Ocheyedan Republican, said he supports Branstad's proposal, saying 'it won't be easy” to pass the language in a split-control Legislature where Democrats hold a 26-24 majority but added 'it's the right thing to do.”

Johnson said pro-life activists are 're-energized” and believe this session offers new hope for ending taxpayer money going indirectly to support abortion services.

Asked if the abortion funding issue might pose a stumbling block to adjournment if it stalls during budget talks with legislative Democratic, Johnson said 'for me personally it will be. I'm not leaving here until we get it done and I am joined by a growing number of legislators.”

Johnson said he 'absolutely” would be willing to shut down state government over the issue if need be, telling reporters 'I will stay here that long. This is our chance. Everything is aligned.”

Branstad said he intends to work through the normal legislative process to see what can be accomplished this session because he senses that Iowans 'don't want their tax money going to groups that perform abortions.”

However, he was quick to dismiss talk of a government shutdown if the funding issue hits a partisan impasse. 'This is not Washington, D.C., this is Iowa. The legislative session has just started. It's ridiculous to be talking about things like that,” Branstad told reporters.