An Iowa judge has ruled that the state’s strict abortion law will take effect on Monday, preventing most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy often before many women know they are pregnant, reported by NBC News.
The law, initially passed last year, had been blocked by a judge. However, in June, the Iowa Supreme Court declared there is no constitutional right to an abortion in the state and ordered the hold to be lifted. This led to the district court judge’s decision for the law to take effect on July 29 at 8:00 a.m. Central time, told AP News.
Lawyers representing abortion providers requested Judge Jeffrey Farrell provide notice before enforcing the law, arguing a buffer period was needed to ensure continuity of services. Currently, Iowa requires pregnant women to wait 24 hours for an abortion after an initial consultation, and abortions have been legal up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The high court’s order marked a significant victory for Iowa’s Republican leaders after years of legislative and legal battles. Iowa now joins more than a dozen states where abortion access has been sharply restricted since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Currently, 14 states have near-total bans at all stages of pregnancy, and Iowa becomes the fourth state to ban abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.
Abortion access is expected to be a major issue in the 2024 election, with Vice President Kamala Harris emphasizing that “everything is at stake” regarding reproductive health. Harris has traveled across the country, including a visit to Des Moines, to draw attention to the issue.
Iowa’s Republican-controlled Legislature passed the law in a special session last July, immediately prompting a legal challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, Planned Parenthood North Central States, and the Emma Goldman Clinic. The law was initially in effect for only a few days before a district court judge temporarily blocked it.
“Today is a victory for life,” Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds stated on Tuesday.
The Iowa law allows for abortion after six weeks in limited circumstances: rape, if reported within 45 days; incest, if reported within 145 days; if the fetus has an abnormality incompatible with life; or if the pregnancy endangers the mother’s life.
Representatives from Planned Parenthood and the Emma Goldman Clinic have indicated they will continue to provide abortion services in Iowa in compliance with the new law. Planned Parenthood announced it will continue to operate “under current protocols” and take as many appointments as possible before the law takes effect.
Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said in June that the organization has made “long-term regional investments” to prepare for this outcome, including expanding facilities in nearby states.
Sarah Traxler, the Planned Parenthood region’s medical director, described the challenge of determining gestational age precisely at six weeks, calling it “tricky.” According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 44% of the 3,761 total abortions in Iowa in 2021 occurred at or before six weeks gestational age.
In its 4-3 opinion last month, the Iowa Supreme Court’s majority determined that abortion laws in Iowa are to be judged by whether the government has a legitimate interest in restricting the procedure.
Chuck Hurley, vice president of the conservative Christian organization The Family Leader, celebrated the ruling and emphasized the ongoing efforts to further restrict abortion access, stating, “Fourteen states now protect babies from the moment of conception, and Iowa should be the 15th.”