Iowa GOP Passes Six-Week Abortion Ban The Iowa State Capitol building is seen on October 09, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Getty Images)
Iowa lawmakers voted on Tuesday to ban most abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy in a single-day meeting that lasted 14 hours.
Republicans, which hold a majority in both the Iowa House and Senate, passed the bill after Governor Kim Reynolds called a special election. The bill, which passed exclusively with Republican support, will take immediate effect after Reynolds signs it on Friday. The new legislation will prohibit abortions after the first sign of a heartbeat, which is usually around six weeks. There are some exceptions for cases involving rape or incest. Certain medical emergencies will also allow for abortions up to 20 weeks as well.
Previous legislation allowed abortions for up to 20 weeks in the state. “The Iowa supreme court questioned whether this legislature would pass the same law they did in 2018, and today they have a clear answer,” Reynolds 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.” Similar legislation was passed in 2018, but was blocked by the state’s Supreme Court a year later. However, after that decision, Roe v. Wade was overturned ending the nationwide constitutional right to abortion.
Iowa’s Supreme Court was split 3-3 last month, in a decision that would remove the block on the 2018 law, which prompted Reynolds to seek and pass new legislation in a special session. Planned Parenthood North Central States stated that it will refer patients out of state if they were scheduled for abortions. The organization has said it will continue to see patients who are present before cardiac activity is detected. Critics of the bill gathered at the at the State Capitol rotunda chanting “vote them out” in protest of the Republican legislators and their new bill.
Advocates of the bill, including many Christian organizations and anti-abortion groups, gathered and thanked lawmakers during the hearing and celebrated the victory of the bill. 2024 GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who was present in support of the new legislation, spoke in interviews and addressed the hecklers during the session.
I’m unapologetically pro-life. I’m also a free speech absolutist. Especially for those who disagree with me. Proud of @KimReynoldsIA and the Iowa legislature for protecting life. “I think it’s an historic occasion,” Ramaswamy said, adding that it was “a celebration of the pro-life position that I share.” The democratic process is messy for the same reason it’s beautiful. Live from the Iowa State Capitol on a historic day. Proud of @KimReynoldsIA and the Iowa legislature for protecting life.
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