Reynolds says abortion ‘murder,’ open to idea of civil unions for gays

CARROLL, Iowa — GOP candidate for lieutenant governor Kim Reynolds said Tuesday that she believes abortion is “equivalent to murder.” On another key contemporary social issue, Reynolds said marriage should be defined as being between one man and one woman — although she made three separate references to civil unions for homosexuals in an interview, saying she would be open to such a prospect in Iowa.

Kim Reynolds talks with state Rep. Rod Roberts in Carroll Tuesday (photo by Jeff Storjohann/Carroll Daily Times Herald)

As former Gov. Terry Branstad’s running mate in his campaign to win a fifth term, Reynolds, halfway through her first term as a state senator from Osceola, is spending some of her early days on the campaign trail in counties in which Sioux City business consultant Bob Vander Plaats and state Rep. Rod Roberts, R-Carroll, showed strength in the June Republican primary.

“In some of the counties that the governor (Branstad) didn’t carry I’m gonna try to get out there and meet with them and just talk to them and listen to them, give them an opportunity to get to know me,” Reynolds said.

Speaking at a Pizza Ranch in Carroll, Reynolds fielded a question about same-sex marriage, which was legalized last year by an Iowa Supreme Court decision.

“Well, I am pro-life, and I am pro-family,” Reynolds said.

Later, in an interview, Reynolds was asked to elaborate on those positions and, if her stance on abortion prevails and it is criminalized again, what the penalty should be for a physician who performs an abortion or a woman who has one.

“Well, I think it would be equivalent to murder,” Reynolds said. “I would want to research that before I would lay specifically out what the penalties would be.”

Reynolds said she does not consider a doctor performing an abortion as being guilty of the same crime as someone stabbing someone to death, but would not clarify on the actual difference between the two acts.

“I would want to take a look at that and make sure that I completely walked through that before I would say anything right now,” Reynolds said. “I’m not going to give an answer to that right now without thoroughly looking through that and making sure that I’m looking at both sides.”

Should the doctors and women involved in the abortion get a ticket, a fine, or should they be executed?

“I think that we would take a look and make sure that the punishment met the crime,” Reynolds said. “It would depend on the level of crime that was served. I would want to be sure to take a look at that before I gave an off-handed comment to that issue.”

On same-sex marriage, Reynolds said Iowa voters, not the state’s Supreme Court, should make the decision about its legality in the Hawkeye State.

“I believe that the definition of marriage is between one man and one woman from a religious aspect,” Reynolds said. “That is my belief. I have stated that. I always have believed that.”

That considered, Reynolds said she would be open to the idea of civil unions for gay couples.

“We could take a look at civil unions,” Reynolds said. “There are other options maybe that I would be in favor of looking at.”

She added, “They can do civil unions. I think they can get to some of the same place that they want to look at.”

Reynolds said that as a citizen she would vote for a measure defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

“But the bottom line is this is an extremely important issue, and I believe that Iowans have a right to speak on that,” Reynolds said.

Below is video of Reynolds discussing her positions on abortion and marriage, courtesy of the Carroll Daily Times Herald.