Iowa’s Supreme Court on Friday said the state’s six-week ban on abortion is legal, the latest example of a state imposing severe restrictions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.
The 4-3 ruling overturned a lower court’s temporary block on the law and sent the case back to continue, allowing the ban to take effect.
Iowa’s law is an example of a “heartbeat statute,” which bans abortions after fetal cardiac activity can be detected — usually around six weeks, which is before many women know they are pregnant.
There are some exceptions for rape and incest if reported to the police or health provider within a specific time period. Medical exceptions include a fetal abnormality that’s “incompatible with life” or if the pregnancy endangers the woman’s life.
Abortion access stands to be a major issue in the 2024 election across the country, especially as Republican candidates have settled on a position that it’s a state issue.
The lawsuit was filed by Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the Emma Goldman Clinic, and the ACLU of Iowa. They argued that the abortion ban was not constitutional under Iowa law. The lower court’s injunction kept abortion legal up to 22 weeks of pregnancy.