Iowa Senate approves bill to cut Planned Parenthood funding

The Republican-led Iowa Senate voted on Thursday to cut off public funding to Planned Parenthood and redirect tax dollars to clinics that do not perform abortions.

The legislators voted 30–20 in favor of Senate File 2, which will allocate $3 million in state money to health centers that do not perform or promote abortions. The bill is headed for the Iowa House, where it is likely to pass. Republican Gov. Terry Branstad has promised to sign it into law, The Des Moine Register reported.

Under the legislation, the state will discontinue its participation in the Medicaid family program and create a new state-funded program that would fund health care groups that do not offer abortion services. The state would redirect money from a federal block grant for child and family services, according to The Courier.

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland in Iowa received about $1 million through Medicaid in the 2016 fiscal year.

Sen. Amy Sinclair, co-sponsor of the bill, argued that the state-funded program would spread out the tax dollars evenly, which would, in turn, increase access for women, especially those living in rural areas are not served by Planned Parenthood clinics.

"There are zero Planned Parenthood clinics in [her local district]," she said. "And I would suggest that is true for many other rural Senate districts as well. So anyone in my district would have to drive to one of those clinics, all located in urban areas, to access care for their needs under the current system," she continued.

Sen. Janet Petersen spoke against the bill in a lengthy floor speech, arguing that the measure is bad for Iowa women and families.

"It will create more unintended pregnancies, more high risk pregnancies, and cost Iowa taxpayers more," said Petersen. "Iowans don't support it. Doctors warn against it. We should listen to them and reject it," she added.

Planned Parenthood has stated that only two percent of its services involve abortions, but pro-life advocates argued that government funds are indirectly subsidizing abortions by helping to pay for the organization's overhead costs, such as for utilities, administrative staff and office space.

Iowans for LIFE argued that the bill would give women better options with regards to health care. The group is asking pro-lifers to urge their state legislators to support the measure.