Doubling Down
The Iowa legislature adjourned Sunday afternoon, completing a session interrupted by the pandemic. Among the bills that was passed was one imposing a 24-hour waiting period for those seeking an abortion.
Democrats will claim that the GOP snuck the bill through in the dead of night. Lots of things get passed during marathon sessions at the end, but the optics of the House passing the bill around midnight, with the Senate passing it at 5:30 in the morning after an all-nighter are admittedly not great.
I’m always struck by media coverage of such things, particularly the loaded and biased language that is used. Here’s how the Associated Press reported on it…quoting…”The bill now goes to Gov. Kim Reynolds, a strong opponent of abortion rights.”
Why not use a phrase like, “a strong proponent of rights for the unborn”? Better yet, how about something neutral and factual, like “The bill now goes to the governor, who is expected to sign it.”
The moment the governor signs the bill, expect the lawsuit challenging it to be filed; this being an election year, all sides have roles to play. The Republicans who support the bill want to be able to say to their constituents that they did something on an issue they genuinely feel strongly about. The Democrats who don’t want those restrictions obviously will challenge the bill to satisfy their base.
I’m not saying that each isn’t genuine, but you’ll note it happened this year, and not last year. But it is a clear doubling down by Republicans about a fundamental issue, and that’s commendable…if you have the majority and don’t use it to advance your agenda, then why did the voters put you there to begin with?
