Area legislators are still hotly debating Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack’s recent decision to veto a controversial bill that would have required women to wait 24 hours before receiving an abortion.

According to the bill, which Vilsack vetoed last Friday, doctors who failed to inform women of their all of their options when considering abortion would have faced up to 30 days in jail and a $30,000 fine.

In his letter to Speaker of the House Brent Siegrist outlining his stance, Vilsack wrote, “Given the current laws in Iowa and the level of information currently available to women, I must conclude that this bill is not about providing informed consent. Rather it is about government prescribing what a woman should think about, when a woman should think, and for how long a woman should think.”

Rep. Teresa Garman, R-Ames, adamantly disagreed with Vilsack on the informed consent bill.

“I support the bill fully,” she said. “The bill is set to inform women. The governor really missed the boat in what this bill is all about. The 24-hour consent bill is not about making women wait 24 hours; it’s about making sure women are informed of their choices.”

Dr. Tom Ross, physician for Planned Parenthood, performs abortions both in Des Moines and Sioux City. He said he makes sure a woman wants an abortion before it is performed.

“I have certain guidelines of my own — they have to be met in order for me to do an abortion. I have to be sure that one, they have been well-informed and understand everything. Then in my own mind, I have to be sure that they are certain they really do want the procedure.”

Garman said the informed consent bill would have provided women with information on adoption, the responsibilities of the father, the development of the fetus at each stage and risk to the mother.

“The bill is simply about information — I don’t understand why anyone opposes this bill,” she said.

But Ross said women already have enough information to make an informed decision.

“We provide truly every option and discuss them, whether it is continuing the pregnancy or having an abortion or options of adoption,” he said.