State Senators in Minnesota and Iowa pass abortion measures

May 18 2011

News outlets report on the progress of bills dealing with abortion issues in Minnesota and Iowa.

Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota Senate Easily Approves Limits On Abortions
A pair of bills that would dramatically limit abortion rights passed their final legislative hurdle on Monday and will soon be headed to the governor's desk. The GOP-led Minnesota Senate voted 40-26 to eliminate state funding of abortions for poor women and voted 42-24 to prohibit all abortions 20 weeks after conception. The votes split largely along party lines, though several DFLers joined Republicans in support of the restrictions. ... DFL Gov. Mark Dayton has said he would not sign bills violating the "fundamental right" to an abortion (Roper, 5/16).

Des Moines Register: Iowa Senate Passes Bill To Block Abortion Clinic
A bitterly divided Iowa Senate on Monday approved a bill aimed at blocking a Nebraska physician from opening an abortion clinic in Council Bluffs, although the legislation would not prevent so-called late-term abortion clinics in four other Iowa cities. The bill, Senate File 534, was passed on a strictly partisan vote, with 26 Democrats in support and 23 Republicans opposed. The measure now goes to the Republican-controlled Iowa House, where House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, has said it is unlikely to win approval. ... The measure would require a new facility that performs abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy to be located near an Iowa hospital with an intensive care unit, to help protect a woman and her fetus (Petroski, 5/17).