Clinics in neighboring states expect more patients from Iowa

With a new law restricting abortions taking effect in Iowa, out-of-state abortion clinics expect to see more Iowa women in their clinics.

• Peggy Flanagan, the state’s lieutenant governor, spoke at an abortion clinic in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Friday and had a message for Iowans: “Let me be clear, to our friends in Iowa, you are welcome here, there are people who will take care of you.”
• “We’re here to protect all life,” said Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Pulse Life Advocates in West Des Moines. “And that includes the moment of conception. And that’s really our gold standard. And so we’re going to keep fighting until every baby and every woman here in Iowa is protected.”
• The Iowa Abortion Access Fund has a new partnership with the Chicago Abortion Fund. The Chicago Fund says 465 Iowans have contacted them since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, which gave states more control over abortion laws.

TRANSCRIPT OF THE BROADCAST:

A law went into effect in Iowa Monday morning that bans most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.

I’m your neighborhood reporter for southwest Iowa, Katrina Markel.

With abortion care limited, some pregnant Iowans are already making plans to travel to another state.

Peggy Flanagan, the state’s lieutenant governor, delivered a speech at an abortion clinic in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Friday with a message for Iowans.

“Let me just make it clear: On behalf of our friends in Iowa, you are welcome here, there are people who will take care of you,” Flanagan said.

Maggie DeWitte, director of Pulse Life Advocates in West Des Moines, an anti-abortion group, celebrated Iowa’s new law.

“We’re here to protect all life,” DeWitte said. “And that includes the moment of conception. And that’s really our gold standard. And so we’re going to keep fighting until every baby and every woman here in Iowa is protected.”

Meanwhile, organizations that advocate for legal abortion, such as the Iowa Abortion Access Fund, planned to send more women out of state for abortion care.

Lyz Lenz, a board member of the Iowa Abortion Access Fund, said, “…But the cost of accessing the fund, especially if you have to go out of state or drive somewhere to get the care you need, can be very high.”

The Iowa Abortion Access Fund has a new partnership with the Chicago Abortion Fund. The Chicago Fund says 465 Iowans have contacted them since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, which gave states more control over abortion laws.

Iowa Right to Life celebrated the law with a social media post: “Life is winning! Iowa ends nearly all abortions today. Abortions are estimated to drop 97% thanks to the heartbeat law.”

While we won’t know the effects of the ban for months or perhaps years, organizations like Planned Parenthood in neighboring states — including Nebraska — are preparing for more patients from Iowa.