Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has called for a special legislative session to consider reinstating a ban on abortion after the detection of an unborn baby’s heartbeat. The move comes after the state Supreme Court’s split decision last month that refused to reimpose the six-week abortion ban that Reynolds had previously supported.
In 2018, Reynolds signed a bill into law that increased protections for the unborn by raising the threshold for legal abortion to when a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks. The law included exceptions for medical emergencies, rape, incest, and fetal abnormality. However, critics argued that the six-week deadline prohibited abortions before many women even realized they were pregnant. Several pro-abortion groups sued to block the law, and a district court ruled it unconstitutional based on state and federal law.
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending federal protection of the procedure. Iowa’s Supreme Court then reversed its opinion that the state constitution affirmed the right to abortion, prompting Reynolds to work through the state courts to revive the 2018 ban. However, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled last month to keep the existing 20-week limit on abortions in place.
Governor Reynolds’ announcement to call for a special legislative session has received mixed reactions. Conservatives have praised the decision, while Democrats in the Legislature and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa have issued critical statements. State Senator Molly Donahue, a Democrat, voiced her opposition on social media, claiming that women should have autonomy over their own bodies and healthcare choices.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa denounced Reynolds’ move as tyrannical and called for people to show up at the state Capitol to voice their opposition. The organization vowed to fight to keep abortion legal in Iowa.
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, Republican-led states have passed more restrictive abortion laws, while left-leaning states have sought to protect women’s access to abortion. The legal parameters of abortion are currently in flux due to ongoing lawsuits in various states.
A recent analysis conducted by the Society of Family Planning, a pro-abortion group, found that there were over 25,000 fewer abortions performed in the United States between July 2022 and March 2023 than expected. This decrease may be attributed to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and allow states to determine their own abortion policies.
