Democratic governors in Midwestern states near Iowa are pledging support to people in need of reproductive health care options as one of the nation's strictest abortion bans took effect in the Hawkeye State this week.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) on Monday called Iowa's ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy "disturbing" in a post on the social platform X.
"Here in Illinois, we will welcome our Iowan neighbors for reproductive freedom and whatever care they need," he wrote, adding a direct appeal to women seeking abortion care: "Please know — as you work to maneuver around this dangerous and unjust law — we are here for you."
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) also sent a supportive word through X.
"In Minnesota, we take care of our neighbors. It’s just what we do," Walz wrote. "As our neighbors in Iowa are stripped of their fundamental rights, my message is clear: Your reproductive freedom will remain protected in Minnesota."
Iowa is the fourth state to enact a “heartbeat” law that bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, when many women are not aware that they are pregnant. Fourteen other states have near-total bans on abortion.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), who has had a rocky relationship with Republican presidential nominee former President Trump, praised the new anti-abortion law.
“Today is a victory for life. There is nothing more sacred and no cause more worthy than protecting innocent unborn lives,” Reynolds said in a recent statement on the ban. "I remain deeply committed to supporting women in planning for motherhood, promoting the importance of fatherhood, elevating adoption, and protecting in vitro fertilization (IVF). Families are the foundation of society, and policies that encourage strong families will make our state and country strong for generations to come.”
The Iowa ban and similar restrictions in other states are expected to ripple through the country, as people travel to states with more abortion access.
South Dakota and Missouri, both Republican-led states that border Iowa, also have banned or put tight restrictions on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court upended the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion ruling in 2022. Illinois and Minnesota have expanded access and protections and are the closest bordering states to Iowa that have broad access to abortion services.
Both Walz and Pritzker are closely aligned with Vice President Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, and have been rumored to be under consideration for her vice presidential pick.
Harris, a former prosecutor and senator from California, has been an outspoken critic of restrictions on reproductive care.
Her campaign, which was jump-started just a week ago when President Biden announced the end of his reelection campaign and endorsed his vice president, put the Iowa ban front and center as it kicked off a “Fight for Reproductive Freedom Week of Action” on Monday across key battleground states.
In the week of action announcement Harris's team stressed that she "has always been a champion for reproductive freedom and is fighting to ensure women in every state have access to the care they need and deserve."
