Urbandale, IOWA – On Friday, June 24, 2022, in its Dobbs v. Jackson ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and returned to the people and to the states the ability to protect pre-born life.
“This is a momentous day for America,” says Bob Vander Plaats, President and CEO of The FAMiLY Leader. “Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided, and its horrifying precedent granting permission to treat pre-born children as less than human has led to the deaths of over 62 million Americans and counting. But at long last, today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson will allow the states to protect women and children from abortion.
“As we reflect on the work of the last 50 years, The FAMiLY Leader is grateful for the Iowa Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders, generations of attorneys and activists, the thousands of dedicated individuals who have stepped in to care for women and children in need, and the millions of praying Americans who longed to see this day,” Vander Plaats said. “But this is only the beginning. The right to life is not a matter that should be left to individual states, but an inalienable right that should be ingrained in our nation’s constitution, character, and culture. One day, America must reach the point where every innocent life is cherished and protected, from the moment of conception to natural death. It will take every one of us to make that vision reality.” Background and Additional Information
The status of abortion law in Iowa:
Iowa code currently protects pre-born babies after 20 weeks of pregnancy (Iowa Code § 146B.2).
Iowa currently bans partial-birth abortions (Iowa Code Ann. § 707.8A).
Iowa also has a post-viability restriction: No abortion may be performed after the end of the second trimester (Iowa Code Ann. § 707.7).
Notable quotes from the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling:
“The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.”
“Like the infamous decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, Roe was also egregiously wrong and on a collision course with the Constitution from the day it was decided.”