Last Wednesday, the Iowa House of Representatives passed what essentially amounts to a ban on all abortions after the 18th week of pregnancy. 

The prerogative to legislate religious-based moral values is not one that belongs to humans. Legislating protions of the Bible into our legal codes is no better than any other religion doing the same in another country. The most notable comparison here would be Shariah law in Middle Eastern countries.  

The scientific basis for this latest restriction — to the extent that it exists— was largely left out of the debate. If doctors and biological specialists cannot agree on when life begins, then on what basis can a citizen legislature that meets — in ordinary years — for four months make that determination?

We should also ask what public interest is furthered by this new law. Is it in the public interest to remove exceptions to existing law that protect the lives of mothers? Is it in the public interest to imprison doctors for up to ten years, or to fine them $10,000? 

Protecting life is a noble goal, and doctors are instructed first to do no harm, but sometimes necessity imposes upon us and choices must be made between greater and lesser evils.

The timeliness of the bill should also be questioned. Instead of engaging in social engineering, why couldn’t the legislature focus on job creation, forging an economy driven by sustainability, or passing this state’s budget? Proponents of this bill need to answer this question.