Iowa Supreme Court rules in favor of six-week abortion ban
![Iowa Supreme Court rules in favor of six-week abortion ban](https://thehill.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/658f6221df1d41.15563425.jpeg?w=900)
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.
“We conclude that the fetal heartbeat statute is rationally related to the state’s legitimate interest in protecting unborn life,” the majority wrote.
The ruling stated that “neither text nor history establishes abortion as a fundamental right under the Iowa Constitution.”
The state passed a nearly identical version of the law in 2018, but it was halted by a court because Roe v. Wade was still in effect.
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) asked a district court to allow that law to take effect.
When the court declined, she appealed to the state Supreme Court, which deadlocked 3-3, leaving the 22-week limit in place.
Reynolds then called the GOP-led state legislature into a special session last summer for the sole purpose of passing the ban. That law was passed on party lines, but temporarily blocked days later.
“There is no right more sacred than life, and nothing more worthy of our strongest defense than the innocent unborn,” Reynolds said in a statement Friday. “I’m glad that the Iowa Supreme Court has upheld the will of the people of Iowa.”
She added that her administration “will continue to develop policies that encourage strong families, which includes promoting adoption and protecting in vitro fertilization (IVF).”
In a strong dissent, Chief Justice Susan Christensen said the majority’s ruling “strips Iowa women of their bodily autonomy” and “relies heavily on the male-dominated history and traditions of the 1800s, all the while ignoring how far women’s rights have come since the Civil War era.”
She added that the majority misunderstood the issue at the center of the case.
“It is not whether abortion, with the polarizing reactions it evokes, is a fundamental right but rather whether individuals have the fundamental right to make medical decisions affecting their health and bodily integrity in partnership with their healthcare provider free from government interference,” Christensen wrote.
Date: | |
Tag: | Abortion |
Filter
-
The New York Times - Top stories
Iowa Supreme Court Allows Six-Week Abortion Ban to Take Effect
Republican lawmakers passed the restrictions last year, but a lower court blocked enforcement of the law.Abortion -
NBC News - Politics
Iowa's high court rules that six-week abortion ban can take effect
Iowa's Supreme Court ruled that a law that prohibits abortions after six weeks of pregnancy can take effect, as women in a number of states find themselves caught in the middle of shifting laws on abortion. NBC News' Yamiche Alcindor reports.Abortion -
The Hill - Politics
Biden condemns Iowa court's decision to uphold six-week abortion ban
President Biden on Friday condemned the decision by Iowa’s Supreme Court to uphold the state's six-week abortion ban, saying it puts women’s health in jeopardy. The court, in a 4-3 ruling, overturned a lower court’s temporary block on the state’s ...Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
Iowa clears 6-week abortion ban
Presented by Express Scripts by Evernorth — A 4-3 ruling Friday has overturned a lower court’s temporary block, allowing the ban to take effect in Iowa {beacon} Health Care Health Care The Big Story Iowa Supreme Court clears 6-week abortion ...Abortion -
NBC News - Politics
Supreme Court rules in favor of Jan. 6 rioter challenging obstruction charge
The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a January 6 rioter who was seeking to throw out an obstruction charge for joining in on the Capitol riot. NBC News' Laura Jarrett has details on the ruling and how it could potentially benefit former ... -
The Hill - Politics
Supreme Court rules in favor of Jan. 6 rioters in obstruction case
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that an obstruction law used to charge scores of Jan. 6 rioters and former President Trump was improperly applied, spelling trouble for the Justice Department’s far-reaching prosecution of the Capitol attack. The ... -
CBS News - Top stories
Supreme Court rules on abortion, Purdue Pharma cases
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court released more major decisions on multiple cases as the term nears its end. The justices blocked the $6 billion settlement by the makers of the drug oxycontin because it also shielded members of the Sackler ...Abortion -
ABC News - Health
Iowa’s Supreme Court tells lower court to let strict abortion law go into effect
Iowa’s Supreme Court tells lower court to let strict abortion law go into effectAbortion -
NBC News - Top stories
Iowa's Supreme Court tells lower court to let strict abortion law go into effect
The Iowa Supreme Court said the state’s strict abortion law is legal, allowing Iowa to ban most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.Abortion
More from The Hill
-
The Hill - Politics
Psaki defends debate prep team: 'Biden was bad'
MSNBC anchor Jen Psaki, who once served as President Biden's press secretary, defended his campaign amid criticism of the president's debate performance last week, instead pinning the blame on the president. Psaki said it is “absurd” to blame ...Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
Head of Trump PAC predicts 'cannibalistic chaos' if Dems replace Biden
The head of the primary super PAC supporting former President Trump said the potential replacement of President Biden as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee would be “impossible” to carry out and essentially spell defeat for the party in ...Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
Doubts have grown over Biden's mental fitness: Poll
Voters' doubts about President Biden’s fitness to serve in the Oval Office have grown over the past few months, according to a new poll released Monday amid the fallout from his shaky debate performance last week. The latest Harvard CAPS-Harris ...Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
Trump lead over Biden unchanged since debate: Poll
Former President Trump’s lead over President Biden in national polling is unchanged following the debate between the candidates last week, according to a new survey. The Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released Monday, which was conducted after the ...Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
Luttig: Trump, other presidents now 'above the law'
Retired federal judge J. Michael Luttig said former President Trump and other U.S. presidents can now be considered "above the law" after the Supreme Court ruled Monday that core presidential powers are immune from prosecution. “It can never again ...Donald Trump