Dubuque pro-life group calls for more pregnancy support for women after Marion newborn's death

A Dubuque pro-life group is calling for more support for pregnant women after the death of a newborn in Marion, KCRG-TV9 reported Friday. Arthur Gilloon, vice president of Dubuque County Right to Life Inc., criticized Women on Web, the organization investigators say provided abortion medication to Margaret Conant. Conant faces charges of child endangerment, deprivation of necessary care, and obtaining prescription medication by deceit. Gilloon said he imagined Conant may have felt she lacked support. "In this particular case we're talking about, I can imagine that's how this woman felt, 'Who's going to help me?'" he said. "And what happened was she got connected with an organization that, in our view, sells abortion, an unsafe abortion." Gilloon said his organization's opposition to abortion includes a commitment to helping women after their children are born, and that the group has a fund to assist with expenses. "We have paid rent, we have paid car payments, we have paid mortgage payments, we've helped a woman get a new car," he said. The case comes amid debate over access to abortion medication in Iowa. In February, an Iowa Senate subcommittee advanced a proposal that would require abortion medications to be prescribed or administered in person, limiting telehealth and mail-order access. Supporters argued the proposal would provide safeguards, while medical professionals opposing it warned the restrictions could delay care, particularly in rural areas. KCRG-TV9 contacted Women on Web for a response but had not heard back as of Friday's broadcast. Conant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.