Des Moines, Iowa — The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld the law that bans most abortions after the sixth week of a pregnancy.
Four of the justices joined the majority ruling that removed the injunction that prevented the law from taking effect. Three justices opposed the move. The majority ruling says there’s no fundamental right to an abortion in Iowa’s Constitution and the court’s review of the historical record shows the right to an abortion is not rooted at all in our state’s history and tradition.
Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christiansen wrote a dissent, saying the four justices who joined the majority decision relied heavily on the male-dominated history and traditions of the 1800s and she said the four justices had ignored how far women’s rights have come since the Civil War era.
Governor Reynolds is praising the decision, saying nothing is more worthy of the strongest defense than the unborn. Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says Republicans went too far with this abortion ban and voters will hold them accountable in November.
Maggie DeWitte is the executive director of Pulse Life Advocates. She was the emcee for last Saturday’s statehouse rally to mark the anniversary of the US Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v Wade — and set the new legal standard on which Friday’s IOWA Supreme Court ruling is based.
DeWitte says slow and steady wins the race and the task now is to convince more Iowans abortion isn’t the answer.
DeWitte says other restrictions on abortion are needed.
Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christiansen wrote a strong dissent, saying the four justices who joined the majority decision rely “heavily on the male-dominanted history and traditions of the 1800s, all the while ignoring how far women’s rights have come since the Civil War era.
Mazie Stilwell of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa spoke during an online event last Thursday night.
Stilwell says few people know they’re pregnant at six weeks.
Stilwell says polling in Iowa shows a majority of Iowans oppose the six-week abortion ban.
After the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, Governor Reynolds asked the Iowa Supreme Court to let a similar law she signed in 2018 take effect. A year ago, the Iowa Supreme Court deadlocked on the issue, so Reynolds called for a special legislative session last July to pass the same law again. It was immediately challenged in court. Iowa is among a dozen states that have a six-week abortion ban. Iowa’s law does include exceptions in cases of rape, incest, fetal abnormality or to save the life of the mother. The law says women cannot be prosecuted for seeking or obtaining an abortion, but it will be up to the Board of Medicine to sanction Iowa doctors accused of violating the law. The Iowa Board of Medicine approved general guidelines in February for when exceptions would be allowed. For instance, doctors must sign a certification that documents the reasons for abortions in cases of rape, incest, or when fetal abnormalities are cited. Iowans for Health Liberty, a group representing some Iowa doctors, has said the rules are too vague when it will force doctors to withhold care until a woman’s health declines enough for treatment.
