The Iowa Senate approved a bill to require the state’s public schools to show high quality animations of fetal development in fourth through 12th grade human growth and development classes.
The bill, Senate File 175, would require these animations show the “humanity of the unborn child,” starting at fertilization and noting significant growth and organ development throughout every stage of pregnancy.
The bill closely mimics legislation in red states across the country pushed by anti-abortion group Live Nation, which distributes a video matching lawmakers qualifications in the bill. The video is dubbed “Meet Baby Olivia” and shows the development of a human fetus and that human life starts at conception.
A house version of the bill looks to require the video, by requiring a video three minutes in length detailing the fetal development of organs. The Senate version does not mention this, but closely mimics the house version in other language.
Iowa House lawmakers approved a similar bill last year, but it did not gain traction in the Iowa Senate. A similar Senate version did not make it out of committee before a legislative deadline killed the proposal.
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology said last year that the video made by Live Nation seeks to appeal to viewers’ emotions to push anti-abortion views.
The bill passed mostly on party lines, 31-13, on Tuesday and will work its way through the House, which has advanced a similar bill, before heading to the governor for her signature if House lawmakers approve the bill. Sen. Mike Zimmer, D-DeWitt, voted with all Republicans in voting for the bill.
During debate on the bill Tuesday afternoon, Iowa Sen. Jeff Taylor, R-Sioux Center, said the bill isn’t introducing new concepts and is evolving the understanding of how human development works.
“It’s making the point and trying to clarify that human growth and development doesn’t begin with birth — it actually begins before that,” Taylor said. “I see this bill as something that gets at a fundamental question, what is a human? And as Sen. [Kevin] Alons pointed out, I think this bill encourages respect for human life and an understanding of when it begins and why it matters.”
Democrats said the bill instead is pushing a political agenda on students in the classroom.
“State mandated curricula are often influenced by political agendas, which can result in the inclusion or exclusion of content based on ideological priorities rather than educational values” Sen. Molly Donahue, D-Cedar Rapids, said Tuesday. “I believe this bill does just that.”
Donahue said local educators are in a better position to understand the specific needs of their students and community.
“Local educators and stakeholders are better positioned to understand what their students need to thrive in their particular context,” she said. “Local educators and school boards are better positioned to tailor programs that reflect their community’s needs and values, while ensuring that students receive relevant and age appropriate education.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article inaccurately stated Senate File 175 directly referenced the “Meet Baby Olivia” video. The DI regrets this error.