It’s been another busy week at the Capitol, with numerous subcommittees and multiple highly controversial bills.
On a positive note, a House subcommittee declined to move HSB 542 (the AEA bill) forward. Still, it lives on in the Senate as SSB 3073. I have received an extremely high volume of contacts regarding the AEAs and I’m grateful to all of you who have contacted me for sharing your views and your personal stories with me. I have been listening carefully and I’m highly concerned about how this would impact students, particularly those in rural districts. As it stands right now, I oppose this bill.
You may also have seen that a House subcommittee declined to move HF 2082 forward. That’s good news, but seeing it even assigned to a subcommittee made me incredibly sad. Never in Iowa’s history have we explicitly singled out a group of people and removed civil rights protections. With so many *good* things to be done for Iowans, this never should’ve been given time or resources.
Many of you have emailed or messaged me regarding reproductive rights. Below, you’ll find more information on the Senate Democrats’ reproductive rights package. You may have seen that together with Sen. Zach Wahls and Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, I introduced SF 2135 a bill to enshrine the right to contraception in our state code. Some have asked why this might be necessary.
Here’s why: The goal of the anti-abortion movement has never been solely to ban abortion: Many influential movement leaders also intend to crack down on contraception. Some are so extreme as to believe that even an IUD “counts” as an abortion, as one way an IUD works is to prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
The right to contraception in the United States rests on the Right to Privacy established by the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut Supreme Court Decision. In his concurring opinion to 2022’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (which struck down Roe v. Wade,) Justice Clarence Thomas suggests that other Court decisions based upon substantive due process (Right to Privacy) should be reconsidered. (Read more here.) This would include Griswold, Lawrence v. Texas (which struck down the Texas sodomy law), and Obergefell v. Hodges, which made marriage equality the law of the land.
As it stands, FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (a group linked with Alliance Defending Freedom, the same group behind anti-LGBTQ court cases and bills nationwide), will be considered by the US Supreme Court soon, and could drastically limit access to mifepristone. Last year, Missouri, Idaho, and Louisiana floated proposals to ban Plan B and define “life at conception,” which could be used to ban IUD’s, or even Depo Provera (as one of its mechanisms is to thin the lining of the uterus and prevent implantation, if fertilization did occur.)
All if this is to say that the right to contraception does need to be made clear in Iowa code. If you agree, please sign our petition here. You may also wish to check out Iowa Starting Line’s article on the bill.
A Better Deal for Iowans: Defending Reproductive Freedom
Iowans have a right to live their lives without unnecessary intrusion from the government, but for years now, we’ve seen unprecedented attacks on reproductive freedom – from the end of Roe v. Wade at the federal level to the new six-week abortion ban Republican politicians forced into law last year.
The centerpiece of our new reproductive freedom package is Senate Joint Resolution 2001, a proposed amendment to the Iowa Constitution that will guarantee the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and ensure safe and legal access to abortion.
In addition, we’re sponsoring legislation to increase access to birth control, reinstate vital family planning services, and expand healthcare coverage for new moms and babies. These measures have unanimous support within our caucus and are favored by a strong majority of Iowans.
They are, simply, the right thing to do. Reproductive freedom is the foundation for strong families, and allows all Iowans to plan for their futures and live the lives they want.
Take a minute to read about our new legislative package:
This resolution enshrines the fundamental right to reproductive freedom in Iowa’s State Constitution through a constitutional amendment. This includes the right to prenatal and childbirth care, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care. Restrictions imposed by the state would be subject to strict scrutiny by the courts, the highest constitutional standard.
This bill permits pharmacists to order and dispense birth control without requiring a doctor’s prescription, increasing access to birth control and contraceptives across Iowa.
This bill reinstates the State Family Planning program. Republicans defunded this program in 2017, drastically limiting the number of providers able to provide family-planning resources to low-income families.
This bill provides postpartum coverage for pregnant Iowans for up to 12 months after pregnancy, up from the current 60-day requirement. This bill aligns with federal requirements, ensuring all eligible Iowans can access postpartum care.
The legislation codifies Iowans’ right to access and obtain contraception and prohibits health providers from adopting limitations or requirements that would impede access to contraceptives. It also preempts any future state or local government restrictions on contraceptive access and authorizes enforcement for violations of the law.
An Update on AEAs
We saw a flurry of action and discussion this week on the governor’s plan to slash services and funding at Iowa’s Area Education Agencies.
On Wednesday, the Senate held a public hearing on the proposal, the first opportunity for Iowans and lawmakers alike to voice concerns and share what AEA services mean for their families and communities.
Now, the bill moves on to the full Senate Education Committee for more discussion. An identical bill is also under consideration in the House.
We know the legislation itself as well as the process here in the Capitol is complicated. Here are the four key points you need to know – and that you need to share with friends, neighbors and your local leaders as this process plays out:
The governor’s plan doesn't help kids.
In fact, it makes services for children with special needs more confusing and less individualized for families and communities.
There’s no evidence the governor’s plan will improve outcomes or close gaps for students with disabilities.
Nobody asked for this, and nobody wants it!
The governor’s proposal is wildly unpopular and attempts to solve a problem that does not exist. We’re hearing that loud and clear all over the state.
The changes offered so far to the governor’s plan DO NOT address the concerns of schools, educators, parents, or Iowans. This is still a bad bill.
The governor’s plan forces real cuts to valued services.
Every Iowa school district will face higher costs and less state support for critical services that affect students.
Across the state, school districts face a $32 million funding cut under this plan, and AEAs themselves face a cut of more than $25 million.
The governor’s plan strips away local control.
This bill shifts power away from elected school boards and local administrators to unaccountable bureaucrats in Des Moines.
The AEAs work because they work closely with local districts and have staff and programming on the ground in every Iowa community. Under this plan, that disappears.
This Week in the Capitol
Sen. Bennett met with members of the Iowa Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police and learned about proposals to help officers obtain peer-to-peer support without fear of negative consequences.
Members of Linn-Mar Future Farmers of America visited the Capitol this week.
Occupational Therapists (OTs) , led by constituent Monica Harden, visited the Capitol to express concerns about the Senate AEA bill. We learned that school OTs provide services not only to kids in Special Education, but also to students who may only need a few accommodations, such as a note-taker in order to learn most effectively. If the current proposal were to pass, school OTs would not be able to offer those services to the kids who only need a bit of extra help.
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Sen. Bennett met with members of the Iowa Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police and learned about proposals to help officers obtain peer-to-peer support without fear of negative consequences.
