Iowa Republicans pass bill banning most abortions after about 6 weeks; governor to sign on Friday

[HARK!]

If one is going to set a completely arbitrary time-limit, might as well pin it to some “event” (or other), this “heartbeat” thing fits the bill.

I see a direct correlation between my heart beat, and my time limit in this body.

 

[Yttrium]

Six weeks is still in the first trimester, so I would oppose this bill if it came up in my state. I'm a bit more flexible after the first trimester. Fortunately, it has no chance of coming up in my state.

 

[Yttrium]

I see a direct correlation between my heart beat, and my time limit in this body.

Heart transplants exist. True death is brain death.

 

[HARK!]

Heart transplants exist. True death is brain death.

Why is life support called "life" support?

 

[Yttrium]

Why is life support called "life" support?

Because it's normally used to keep a person alive when vital organs have failed. (But it's sometimes continued after death until verification, legal and family issues are settled.)

 

[HARK!]

Because it's normally used to keep a person alive when vital organs have failed. (But it's sometimes continued after death until verification, legal and family issues are settled.)

So you believe in life after death?

 

[Yttrium]

So you believe in life after death?

Well, I don't really have clue what happens after death. I'd certainly like to think I'd continue to exist in some form or another, although it seems doubtful I'd retain any memories. If I were designing things, I'd include reincarnation, with the ability to retain a degree of enlightenment even if most memories are lost. That would give people a chance to learn more about things before moving on to other things, whatever that might be. I mean, leaving out all the trappings of Hinduism or Buddhism, which complicate things too much. But for all I know we could just end up mentally ceasing to exist, which would be unfortunate. I'm hoping for something better.

And there I go rambling on when there are important matters regarding abortion to discuss. Let's see now, you brought up something about heartbeats, right? Yes, I think that brain activity would be a much better standard, although it can be hard to pinpoint when brain activity gets going. The heart is an important organ, to be sure, but nothing is more important than the brain. There's no real reason to single out the heart during embryonic development. Haven't even quite reached the fetus stage yet.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Iowa Supreme Court weighs whether 6-week abortion ban can take effect​

Iowa’s Supreme Court heard oral arguments Thursday in a case that could decide the future of abortion in that state, the latest legal battle that threatens abortion access across the country during a historic election year.

At issue is a ban passed by the legislature last July that restricts the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, the point when fetal cardiac activity can be detected. Planned Parenthood and others immediately sued to block the law and won a preliminary injunction from a lower court.

For now, abortion remains legal in Iowa up to 22 weeks of pregnancy.

On April 1, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the state’s constitution doesn’t protect abortion rights, paving the way for one of the country’s strictest bans to take effect May 1. This week, Arizona’s Supreme Court revived an 1864 law that forbids the procedure except to save a mother’s life — and punishes providers with jail time.

Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican who has a staunch antiabortion stance, brought the legislature into a special session last summer to pass the six-week ban. Though she has called the ban “the will of the people,” a majority of Iowans say abortion should be legal in most cases. A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll released last year found that 61 percent of residents believe it should be legal in most or all cases, with 35 percent opposed.

 

[RileyG]

I hope Iowa does the right thing and bans abortion.