DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Television Iowa Capitol Bureau) – With Iowa’s abortion law now in effect, it could become an issue that drives voter turnout in November.

The law bans abortion once cardiac activity is detected, which is usually around six weeks of pregnancy. Doctors say that’s before most patients know they’re pregnant. The law does have limited exceptions for rape, incest, fetal abnormality, and when the life of the mother is in danger.

Abortion itself won’t be on the ballot in November because Iowa doesn’t allow citizen-led ballot initiatives. Any changes would have to come from the legislature.

Democrats are already making this election about abortion.

At the Iowa Democratic Party’s Liberty & Justice Celebration Saturday, House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst said, “Iowans are fed up. They’re furious about this abortion ban, and we’re going to make ‘em pay. That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

Konfrst says they’re starting an awareness campaign to tell voters that the law is in effect and which Republicans voted for it. “We’ve had times when we’ve been saved by the courts before. That didn’t happen this time. Iowans need to know and Iowans need to know if they feel helpless, if they feel like they want to do something about this, their best opportunity to do so is at the ballot box in 99 days,” Konfrst said.

Iowa State University Political Science Professor Dave Peterson says framing elections around abortion rights generally helps Democrats. “The record post-Dobbs has been that when an election gets framed to be about abortion – either abortion is specifically on the ballot or that’s what the candidates have chosen to focus on and what voters are thinking about. That’s good for Democrats,” Peterson said.

Though, Peterson says Iowa Democrats will have a harder time since abortion itself isn’t on the ballot.

In a social media post Monday, presumptive Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris blamed Iowa’s law on former President Donald Trump. “What we need to do is vote ‘cause I’m going to tell you something, when I’m President of the United States, I will sign in to law the protections for reproductive freedom,” Harris said.

Peterson says Harris making abortion a central part of her campaign will keep the issue top of mind for voters, which can trickle down to state legislature races. ”So by Harris campaigning on abortion, again, when people are going in to the voting booth, that’s likely to be, or more likely to be one of the preeminent issues they’re thinking about. Again, we are several, or 100 days or so out, and so lots of things can change,” Peterson said.

Peterson says Republicans don’t perform as well when elections are framed around abortion and likely won’t talk about it much. He says their best strategy is to talk about immigration, inflation or “basically anything else.”

We reached out to Republican lawmakers for interviews to see how they’re planning to talk about abortion on their campaigns.

In a statement, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley says Republicans will build on work they’ve done to expand access to affordable childcare, expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage, and improving the foster care and adoption system.

“The Legislature is elected by the people, and for too long, the courts have stood in the way of Iowans having their voices heard on this matter. We are a pro-life and pro-family state. In Iowa, we respect both the life of the unborn child and the life of the mother. While the out-of-touch Iowa Democrats fight for abortion up until the day of birth, we will continue to fight for common sense policies that promote and protect life. We will continue to promote strong families in all that we do in the Iowa House. We must build on the work we’ve already done to expand access to affordable child care, extend postpartum coverage on Medicaid, and improve our foster care and adoption systems,” Grassley said.

Iowa Senate President Amy Sinclair said many Iowans have waited for this day to come.

“The Iowa Senate, House of Representatives, and Governor Reynolds have consistently supported the protection of life at the sound of a heartbeat. This commonsense law recognizes important exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. Today, the support for protection of life becomes a reality. Lives will be saved starting today. Many Iowans have voted, volunteered, and prayed to see this day finally happen,” Sinclair said.

A constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights could be placed on the ballot at some point in the future. A constitutional amendment would have to pass two General Assemblies first. This is unlikely to happen in the near future given the Republican supermajorities in both chambers.

—

Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Television-owned stations in Iowa. Email him at conner.hendricks@gray.tv; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV or on X/Twitter @ConnerReports.

Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.

Two Iowa parents told relatives watching their children to keep their 4-year-old developmentally disabled son in a makeshift cage — and cops later found the boy outside the home covered in human and animal feces, authorities say.

Dustin Carl Lee Perry and Lindsey Barbara Marie Hamilton, both 26, were arrested Thursday after the little boy was found covered in filth outside the family’s home in Hamburg, a city just north of Missouri, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

The boy and a second child found in the home were taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation, police said.

Perry and Hamilton allegedly left the children in the care of relatives “with the direction to keep the 4-year-old in a makeshift cage,” according to the release.

Two makeshift cages were found inside the home, including one built from a “pack and play, a baby gate roof, and zip ties,” police said.

One of the cages was found inside a walk-in closet, police added.

The horrific conditions were uncovered when the 4-year-old escaped his makeshift pen without waking others in the home and got outside and was found by police, officials said.

Perry and Hamilton were arrested and charged with neglect and child endangerment.

Several children were removed from the home by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, according to the release.

The parents are being held in jail without bond while awaiting their first appearance before a judge.

Iowa State football could be in store for a big year, and tickets are still available to see the Cyclones in person during the 2024 season.

One game – the annual Cy-Hawk game – already sold out during pre-sale, but tickets for that contest and all others are still available to purchase on the secondary market.

Click the button below to buy tickets from StubHub and scroll below to see the full schedule and prices for every ISU outing in 2024:

See Iowa State football ticket prices for every game this season

More: Iowa State football: 3 key position battles heading into 2024 season for Cyclones

Iowa State football tickets, best prices

Iowa State vs. North Dakota Aug. 31: Ticket prices start at $51 for the lower sideline section, $38 for upper sideline, $21 for lower corner and $17 for upper corner.

Iowa State at Iowa Sept. 7: Ticket prices start at $133 for the 100-level section, $128 for the 200 level and $125 for the 300 level.

Iowa State vs. Arkansas State Sept. 21: Ticket prices start at $50 for the lower sideline section, $43 for upper sideline, $21 for lower corner and $17 for upper corner.

Iowa State at Houston Sept. 28: Ticket prices start at $32 for the lower sideline section, $19 for upper sideline, $25 for lower corner and $19 for upper corner.

Iowa State vs. Baylor Oct. 5: Ticket prices start at $84 for the lower sideline section, $76 for upper sideline, $42 for lower corner and $38 for upper corner.

Iowa State at West Virginia Oct. 12: Ticket prices start at $51 for the lower section and $48 for the upper section.

Iowa State vs. UCF Oct. 19: Ticket prices start at $67 for the lower sideline section, $54 for upper sideline, $39 for lower corner and $29 for upper corner.

Iowa State vs. Texas Tech Nov. 2: Ticket prices start at $83 for the lower sideline section, $71 for upper sideline, $54 for lower corner and $40 for upper corner.

Iowa State at Kansas Nov. 9: Ticket prices start at $102 for the lower-level section and $54 for the upper section.

Iowa State vs. Cincinnati Nov. 16: Ticket prices start at $64 for the lower sideline section, $51 for upper sideline, $33 for lower corner and $28 for upper corner.

Iowa State vs. Kansas State Nov. 30: Ticket prices start at $80 for the lower sideline section, $67 for upper sideline, $51 for lower corner and $42 for upper corner.

To see a full list of ticket prices, visit StubHub.

More: Iowa State football’s pass-catchers not interested in hype, but ready to prove themselves

Iowa State football 2024 schedule

• Aug. 31: vs. North Dakota
• Sept. 7: at Iowa
• Sept. 21: vs. Arkansas State
• Sept. 28: at Houston
• Oct. 5: vs. Baylor
• Oct. 12: at West Virginia
• Oct. 19: vs. UCF
• Nov. 2: vs. Texas Tech
• Nov. 9: at Kansas
• Nov. 16: vs. Cincinnati
• Nov. 23: at Utah
• Nov. 30: vs. Kansas State

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Gus Martin is a Digital Producer/Content Director for The Des Moines Register. Follow him on X at @GusMartin_DMR.