Statewide, Iowa — A new law that would create a mandatory 24-hour waiting period for abortions in Iowa was scheduled to go into effect Wednesday, but is now on hold.
KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids is reporting that District Court Judge Mitchell Turner has issued an order prohibiting the state of Iowa from enforcing the new law.
On Monday, Judge Turner heard opening arguments in a lawsuit filed in Johnson County District Court by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. Critics say the law is designed as a deterrent to abortion, since women must attend two appointments on different days before obtaining an abortion.
******************************
Original story posted at 3:39 pm, June 30, 2020
Statewide Iowa — Governor Kim Reynolds has approved a bill that creates a mandatory 24-hour waiting period for abortions in Iowa, but it may not go into effect as planned this Wednesday (July 1st).
On Monday, a district court judge heard opening arguments in a lawsuit the ACLU AND Planned Parenthood filed to block the law. Critics say it’s designed as a deterrent to abortion, since women must attend two appointments on different days before obtaining an abortion.
In 2018, the Iowa Supreme Court struck down a 72-hour waiting period for abortions, ruling it was unconstitutional, but Governor Reynolds has now appointed a majority of the court’s justices. In a written statement after approving the waiting period, Reynolds said she is quote “proud to stand up for the sanctity of human life.”
