As government intrusion in our daily life continues to grow by leaps and bounds, a bill offered last week in the Iowa Senate is a breath of fresh air for many small business owners.
Senate File 118, offered by state Sens. Brad Zaun (R-Urbandale), David Johnson (R-Ocheyedan), Bill Anderson (R-Pierson), Ken Rozenboom (R-Oskaloosa), and Dennis Guth (R-Klemme), would provide protection to employers who do not wish to provide insurance coverage for abortion procedures and certain contraceptive services. The bill would protect those businesses that object on religious grounds.
“The bill provides that it is intended to further the compelling governmental interest of protecting the free exercise of religion under Article I, sections 3 and 4 of the Constitution of the State of Iowa, and the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and is to be liberally construed to effectuate this intent.”
The Iowa Catholic Conference is in favor of SF 118. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Planned Parenthood Voters of Iowa, and AFSCME Iowa Council 61 are all opposed to the bill.
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