Iowa Catholic Conference Newsletter, April 17, 2026

As the Iowa legislative session appears to be heading into its final weeks, there are still significant issues related to human dignity where you can make an impact. Your messages to legislators matter! Please visit our ICC Action Center and discern how you’d like to get involved. Alerts are available on funding for monitoring of water quality, support for preschools, and the “black market” abortion pill regulation.

Last week’s floor debate

The ICC supports SF 2417, which was passed by the House and sent to the governor. It prohibits designing AI chatbots that encourage users to commit suicide or perform acts of violence and requires disclosures during a chat that the chatbot is not human.

Alert readers have been hearing from the ICC regularly about the omnibus education bills, HF 2754 and SF 2501. Among other provisions, the bills include passing along the public school “teacher salary supplement” to public charter schools, a second sign-up window for Education Savings Accounts in the fall, and access to the state preschool program for private providers through the Department of Education. HF 2754 passed the House on Thursday, and the ICC is working to get the bill debated in the Senate this week.

Legislative committee updates

HF 2563, a bill to require abortion pills to be provided in person by a medical professional, was advanced by the House Appropriations Committee. The text of the proposal is clear that medical treatment for a miscarriage is not considered an abortion. Sadly, a provision that would require mothers to be informed about the possibility of reversal was removed. 

The FDA has cited studies indicating that 85% of women who take abortion drugs will suffer at least one adverse reaction, and about 1 in 25 women will end up in the emergency room. Unfortunately, abortion drugs are widely available on the black market, online, without seeing a medical provider. While we do not support abortion at all, if they are to take place we believe it is appropriate to limit the harm to the mother.

SF 2279, a tax credit for donations to maternity homes, passed the Senate Ways and Means Committee. There would be a $3.5 million cap on the tax credits.

In addition to some additional funding to support monitoring of water quality, the House’s version of the agriculture budget, HSB 772, includes some new matching funds for schools to participate in the Choose Iowa program by purchasing Iowa meat, eggs, produce, and dairy. Please email your legislators on the importance of funding the network to monitor water quality in the state.

U.S. bishops’ chairman on doctrine issues clarification on just war theory

In light of recent public comments regarding the Catholic Church’s teaching on war and peace, Bishop James Massa, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, issued the following statement:

“For over a thousand years, the Catholic Church has taught just war theory and it is that long tradition the Holy Father carefully references in his comments on war. A constant tenet of that thousand-year tradition is a nation can only legitimately take up the sword ‘in self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2308). That is, to be a just war it must be a defense against another who actively wages war, which is what the Holy Father actually said: ‘He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.’

“When Pope Leo XIV speaks as supreme pastor of the universal Church, he is not merely offering opinions on theology, he is preaching the Gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ. The consistent teaching of the Church is insistent that all people of good will must pray and work toward lasting peace while avoiding the evils and injustices that accompany all wars.”

And finally,

More than 125 people attended the annual Iowa Religious Freedom Day breakfast at the State Capitol on April 14. Thanks go to our speaker, Micah Fries, director of Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, and Gov. Kim Reynolds, who signed the annual proclamation in support of religious freedom. The ICC appreciates its collaboration with DMARC and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.