13 Planned Parenthoods Have Shut Down in Iowa and Babies are Saved

I used to think I was a staunch pro-life advocate. But then I became Executive Director of Iowa Right to Life (IRTL) and wow, did I realize fast that I’d been living in a pro-life bubble. The kind of bubble we, as leaders of pro-life organizations, are always trying to pop for well-meaning supporters. You know the type — proudly pro-life, but distant from the raw data, real stories, and the full impact of abortion.

The advocacy I knew was posting pro-life articles and memes on Facebook. It even included the small part I played when I shared my own abortion trauma before a subcommittee during the push for our first Heartbeat Bill.

I was naive to comprehend what it would take to be a somewhat intelligible spokesperson for IRTL.  From day one in my new position, I realized that truly advocating and explaining legal history, Iowa’s abortion laws, ongoing court battles, and the tangled pro-life landscape was like earning a master’s degree in its own right.

While Iowa’s current situation is complex, it’s the result of a committed pro-life governor and unwavering legislators who were willing to fight to protect unborn lives.

Let me provide some background. It’s convoluted, so please bear with me.

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In 2017, the legislature passed a 72-hour waiting period for abortion which the Iowa Supreme Court blocked in 2018. In addition, the Court, disastrously, found that abortion is a “fundamental right” and subject to “strict scrutiny” under the Iowa Constitution.

The 5-2 decision not only placed the future of Iowa’s pro-life legislation at risk, the fallout could also have turned Iowa into a destination state for abortion on demand with the added threat of taxpayers being forced to fund abortions

In 2018, the legislature passed a fetal heartbeat law for the for time. It was blocked in 2019 by the Iowa district court.

But in 2020 the state passed a 24-hour waiting period which was upheld two years later by the state Supreme Court.

Pro-life Gov. Kim Reynolds then called a special session of the legislature in 2023. The new Fetal Heartbeat Bill was similar to the 2018 version. It passes the legislature and—guess what?– Planned Parenthood sued.

But on June 28, 2024, on a 4-3 vote, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the law did pass constitutional muster!  The Fetal Heartbeat Law went into effect July 29, 2024.

That was just a little over a year ago. Since then, although the numbers are not as accurate as we would like, the Guttmacher Institute reported that by August of 2024 there had been a 38% drop in abortions as a result of the Heartbeat Bill.

Due to the impact of the Heartbeat Bill and federal funding cuts to Planned Parenthood, the two main surgical abortion centers where we once stood in front of during 40 Days for Life are now closed.

Years ago, Iowa had over 15 Planned Parenthood clinics. Today, only two remain—still two too many.

The grim reaper of our reality is the abortion pill.  In the upcoming 2025/26 legislative session, IRTL will seek support for the Black-Market Prevention Act.  This bill would require an in-person exam and prescription; a follow-up visit, include abortion drugs as Schedule IV controlled substances; increased informed consent requirements to include abortion pill reversal information; and require reporting adverse events caused by abortion drugs.

And we will always contend for the gold standard of Life at Conception.

Those of us who advocate to see an end to abortion are aware of the long and arduous fight still ahead of us.  But thankfully, here in Iowa, all I can say is that it’s like that old ad used to say — “we’ve come a long way, baby” — except this time, it was all about saving babies and their moms.

LifeNews Note: Kristi Judkins is the Executive Director of Iowa Right to Life.

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