Still time to stop late-term abortion clinic: Gronstal

Legislation to prevent a Nebraska doctor from opening a clinic where late-term abortions would be performed is likely to get a hearing in the Iowa Senate, the bill's floor manager said May 9.

“There's still plenty of time,” Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, said Monday about House File 657 that stalled in committee until a majority of senators used a rare procedural measure to move it directly to the debate calendar. All 24 Senate Republicans and two pro-life Democrats filed a withdrawal petition with the secretary of the Senate to pull the measure from the Senate Government Oversight Committee.

Bolkcom expects to draft amendments this week that respond to concerns in Council Bluffs about plans by Dr. LeRoy Carhart to open a clinic there where he would support late-term abortions. Nebraska passed legislation last year making the practice illegal in that state and pro-life advocates warn that Iowa could become “the late-term abortion capital of the Midwest” if the General Assembly fails to enact the House-passed legislation this year.

Although he hasn't discussed his amendments with members of the Iowa House, who approved HF 657 60-39, Bolkcom said “if the top-stated goal is this clinic, we'll present a way to do that.”

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, had been non-committal, but Monday said on Iowa Public Radio's The Exchange he believes there are ways to prevent the clinic in his community.

“Nobody likes the idea of abortion,” he said. “Late-term abortions are particularly troubling for people.”

Critics call the House bill too restrictive, arguing that at 20 weeks, a woman would only likely be choosing an abortion because of some medical condition. Current Iowa law provides for abortions after the second trimester if a doctor decides the procedure is needed to “preserve the life or health” of the woman.

“These are not easy issues and it's not easy to legislate the right circumstance in all of those cases,” Gronstal said.

House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, would have to see Bolkcom's amendments before taking a position.

“Iowans clearly indicated they want this addressed,” Paulsen said. “If (senators) have a better way, I'm happy to look at it.”

However, if the Senate language skirts the issue, the House won't support it.

“The bill has to address the issue,” he said.

Bolkcom's amendments will attempt to avoid crafting the bill in a way that would invite a court challenge, he said.

“I don't think we should move a bill we know will be struck down by the courts,” he said.

According to Gronstal, HF 657 “significantly invites a court challenger.”

“So I think we'll try and look at some ways to fix that up in such a way that we can guarantee a late-term abortion clinic doesn't open in Council Bluffs,” he said. “I think there is a way to make sure Carhart doesn't come to Iowa.”