To the editor,
When Iowans look at our state flag we see the motto, “Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain”. This is something every Iowan has seen, read, and heard from the time they were in elementary school until adulthood.
But it seems that the Iowa GOP has forgotten what this means. MAGA Republicans in our state passed laws during the legislative session to restrict our rights and freedoms. They’ve limited what can be taught in schools, banned books, restricted health care options for transgender Iowans, and taken tax dollars from public schools to support private school vouchers.
And now, under the direction of Governor Reynolds, Republicans in the state legislature are convening in a special session for the sole purpose of banning abortion after six weeks after the Iowa Supreme Court declined to reinstate a 2018 bill that banned abortion after six weeks. The Governor and Republicans in the legislature are attacking our rights and liberties and trying to circumvent the court’s decision, even though polls show the majority of Iowans oppose this action.
Call and email your representative and senator, and then attend a rally at the Iowa Capitol next Tuesday.
Talk to your friends and neighbors and let them know what is happening. We must speak out and demand that we maintain our rights and liberties to make decisions about our own healthcare.
If the Governor and legislature chose to ignore decisions by the Iowa Supreme Court and the will of the people, what other rights might Iowans be at risk of losing?
Sue Richardson, Jefferson
