By Craig Robinson

Yesterday, 113 days into the legislative session, Republicans in the legislature finally put House File 657, the late-term abortion ban, in Sen. Mike Gronstal’s hands.

The legislative session was only scheduled to last 110 days.

Thanks to a handful of Republican legislators who blocked and attacked the bill, pro-life activists in Iowa have precious little time to lobby Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal to pass the bill.  Everyone has always known the major hurdle in passing the bill, which is intended to keep late-term abortionist Dr. LeRoy Carhart out of Iowa, was Gronstal. Yet, until all 24 Republican Senators and two Democrat Senators signed onto a discharge petition, Gronstal has been able to avoid criticism because the pro-life community and Republicans in the legislature were busy fighting one another instead of fighting to protect life.

Now that the ball is in Gronstal’s court, he’s beginning to feel the heat.  The Republican Party of Iowa is calling into Gronstal’s district encouraging citizens to contact the Senate Majority Leader and ask him to support House File 657.

The script of the call reads:

“Without immediate action from our Senator, Mike Gronstal, a late-term abortionist will call our community home and make Council Bluffs the abortion capital of the Midwest.

Only Mike Gronstal stands in the way of a bipartisan move to force a vote in the Iowa Senate to stop this abortionist and save our community.

Call Mike Gronstal at 515-282-3371, and tell him to listen to his constituents, allow a vote in the Senate, and keep this abortionist out of our Council Bluffs.”

Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn told TheIowaRepublican.com, “Gronstal’s obstructionism has escalated from denying the will of the people to threatening the lives of the unborn,” Strawn said. “The vast majority of his constituents have spoken clearly that they want an up or down vote to keep Dr. Carhart out their community, and members of his own party are urging action. It’s time for Gronstal to stand up for Iowa’s unborn and not continue to hide behind legislative procedure.”

Carhart, a renowned later term abortionist, has indicated he will open an abortion clinic in Council Bluffs should the state legislature fail to act on the late-term abortion ban.

After the discharge petition was filed yesterday, the decision regarding whether this bill will be debated and voted on rests solely with Gronstal.  The bill is eligible for debate as early as Thursday.