Iowa House Approves Law Banning Most Abortions After About 6 Weeks
In a late-night session, the Iowa House of Representatives approved a bill that would ban most abortions after approximately six weeks of pregnancy, with exclusive support from Republicans. The bill will now move to the Senate, where similar debates are expected to take place.
Republican Governor Kim Reynolds ordered a special session after the state Supreme Court declined to reinstate a law she signed in 2018 that is virtually identical to the one being proposed now. Currently, abortion is legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The proposed bill would prohibit abortion once cardiac activity can be detected, which typically occurs around six weeks of pregnancy, often before most women even realize they are pregnant. The majority of demonstrators at the Capitol voiced strong opposition to the bill, and two Republican representatives voted against it.
During the session, there were passionate arguments from both sides. Sara Eide of the Iowa Catholic Conference urged lawmakers to vote in favor, emphasizing the value and rights of the unborn child. Conversely, Hilary McAdoo, a fertility nurse, voiced her opposition, stating that women should not be forced into motherhood simply because they have the ability to become pregnant. She also criticized the six-week cutoff as impossible and irresponsible.
It is worth noting that the term fetal heartbeat used in these types of laws does not correlate to the medical definition of a heartbeat. Medical experts explain that advanced technology can detect the visual flutter that indicates the presence of an embryo, but it is not yet considered a fetus with a functioning heart. A fetus is typically referred to as such starting from the 11th week of pregnancy.
In 2019, a district court found the 2018 law unconstitutional, based on rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court and Iowa’s Supreme Court that affirmed a woman’s constitutional right to abortion. However, the governor and state legislature sought to reinstate the law, leading to a deadlock in the state’s high court last month. As a result, Reynolds called for the special session.
The bill does include limited exceptions for cases such as rape, incest (with specific reporting requirements), fetal abnormality incompatible with life, and pregnancies endangering the life of the pregnant woman. Democratic lawmakers proposed amendments to expand the exceptions, but these were swiftly rejected.
Planned Parenthood North Central States has stated that if the bill becomes law, it will be challenged in court. In the meantime, the organization will refer patients out of state if they have scheduled abortions in the next few weeks, while continuing to provide care to patients who present themselves before cardiac activity can be detected.
This move by the Iowa House is part of a broader trend across Republican-led states to restrict access to abortion. Many states have implemented bans with limited exceptions, while others have similar restrictions pending court rulings. The situation in Iowa highlights the ongoing battle over abortion rights and the complexities surrounding the issue.
