Writer disagrees with Representative’s use of Iowa motto in newsletter

“Our liberties we prize, our rights we will maintain.” This is the Iowa state motto, which has become familiar to us because our state representative Ray Sorensen closes his newsletters to the Adair County Free Press with the inspiring statement.

However, I’m sorry to say that Representative Sorensen doesn’t believe it applies to Iowa women.

The vote of Representative Sorensen with 54 other Republicans on Wed. Jan. 27 in the Iowa House approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would open the door to more abortion restrictions in the Iowa constitution. It would do this by adding language to the Iowa Constitution that says it doesn’t grant a right to abortion.

This is a reaction to the 2018 Iowa Supreme Court ruling that says the state constitution protects abortion as a fundamental right, but not without limits. As a matter of fact the Iowa Supreme Court noted in this decision, “Autonomy and dominion over one’s body go to the very heart of what it means to be free.”

The current rights and liberties of Iowa women to control their own bodies are under attack by the Republican legislature. The philosophy of the Republicans is that if you think the constitution grants a civil right and you don’t like it, just change it.

If you feel that the Iowa state motto and the Iowa State Constitution apply to women, then let your senator Jake Chapman know and tell him to vote “no” on this proposed constitutional amendment.

From now on, I suggest that Representative Sorensen refrain from closing his newsletter with the Iowa state motto since obviously does not believe it applies to the fundamental rights of women. We would not want him to appear to be hypocritical.