A mere four days after Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill prohibiting almost all abortions past six weeks of pregnancy – when cardiac activity can be detected in the unborn child a – a judge has already granted pro-abortion advocates a temporary stay halting the law’s implementation as court challenges against the new rule proceed.
The injunction, handed down by a Polk County judge, means women in Iowa can still access abortions up until 20 weeks of pregnancy in accordance with previous state law. Reynolds has already said she’ll fight the ruling, praising her state lawmakers for protecting unborn children at their most vulnerable.
“This week, in a rare and historic special session, the Iowa legislature voted for a second time to reject the inhumanity of abortion and pass the fetal heartbeat law,” Reynolds said at a ceremony for the signing last Friday.
BREAKING: Governor Kim Reynolds on signing the Iowa heartbeat law...
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"All life is precious and worthy of the protection of our laws."https://t.co/UIOG6qb2dO pic.twitter.com/AoIPmXELHj
“As we gather here today at this very moment, the abortion industry is in the court trying to prevent this law from taking effect and stop – once again – the will of the people,” Reynolds continued. “But the passage of this legislation, by even a wider margin this time, sends an unmistakable message.”
“All life is precious and worthy of the protection of our laws,” she added before signing the bill.
The bill passed after a 56 to 34 vote in the Iowa House and 32 to 17 in the Senate. It will go into effect immediately.
“The Iowa Supreme Court questioned whether this legislature would pass the same law they did in 2018, and today they have a clear answer,” the governor said in a statement. “The voices of Iowans and their democratically elected representatives cannot be ignored any longer, and justice for the unborn should not be delayed.”
Related: Leftie ‘Journalism’ Site Dubs Maryland the ‘Patron State’ For Abortion
“As a pro-life Governor, I am also committed to continuing policies to support women in planning for motherhood, promote the importance of fatherhood, and encourage strong families. Our state and country will be stronger because of it,” she added.
Exceptions include a pregnancy resulting from a rape reported within 45 days, incest reported within 140 days, and medical emergencies where the mother’s life is at risk. The bill also makes it clear that medical care for a miscarriage is not considered an elective abortion and will not be affected by the new regulations.
Of course, true to form, abortion advocates - including Planned Parenthood - began challenging the bill even before it was signed into law. Last Wednesday, two days before Reynolds signed the bill, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released a statement on behalf of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the Emma Goldman Clinic, and the ACLU of Iowa calling for a “temporary injunction” to withhold the law from going into effect immediately.
“By banning the vast majority of abortions, this bill violates Iowans’ constitutional rights to abortion and substantive due process,” the statement reads. “The ban also violates the Iowa Constitution’s Inalienable Rights Clause, which explicitly guarantees those rights to women and guarantees equal protection under state law.”
According to LifeNews, if the law is allowed to stand, Iowa will become the 17th state to forbid abortion either at conception or at six weeks.