IFL’s Maggie DeWitte testifies before the Judiciary sub-committee in the Iowa House

I’m Maggie DeWitte of Iowans for LIFE, and chairwoman of the Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders.

Today, you’re going to hear a lot about abortion, and the organizations I speak for make it very clear where I stand on the sanctity of human life. That little child in her mother’s womb – she’s a baby, and she deserves to be protected.

But the Protect Life Amendment is broader than the abortion debate. It’s important that our legislators – and the public – understand what this amendment is about.

First, this amendment does not ban any abortions.

It doesn’t change any abortion laws.

And if it “takes us back” to anywhere, it’s only to 2018, when 5 unelected judges on the Iowa Supreme Court tried to do an end-run around the Iowa people. They tried to end the abortion debate by arbitrary judicial decree, adding a supposed “right” to our constitution without a vote of We the People.

This time, unelected judges rewrote the Constitution on abortion. But if we cede to them this power, what’s to stop them from rewriting our speech rights, second amendment rights, or any other rights the judges decide to add or subtract? If We the People – regardless of where we stand on abortion – don’t defend our right to amend the constitution ourselves, if we allow 5 unelected judges to rule over us AND the constitution, why meet in this building at all?

Contrary to what you may hear in testimony today, the judges of the Supreme Court are NOT the supreme rulers of Iowa. Even the judges serve a constitution, one that may only be re-written by We the People. And We the People did NOT add a “right” to abortions, nor do we want to be forced to pay for them. And that is, after all, what the Protect Life Amendment actually says. Thank you.

[You can watch all of the testimony in the video above, which was shot by Tim Overlin of Personhood Iowa, a member of the Iowa Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders.]