The Iowa Supreme Court overruled a lower court and allowed the state’s six-week abortion ban to go into effect.
A lower state court blocked the law, which blocked abortions after six weeks with exceptions for rape, incest, life of the mother, or fetal abnormalities “incompatible with life,” shortly after it was signed into law in July 2023. The 4-3 ruling issued on Friday removed the temporary injunction, clearing the way for the law to go into effect.
“We reverse the order granting the temporary injunction and remand the case for the district court to dissolve the temporary injunction and continue with further proceedings,” the majority opinion said.
Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA), who signed the abortion restrictions into law, applauded the decision as “upholding the will of the people.”
“There is no right more sacred than life, and nothing more worthy of our strongest defense than the innocent unborn. Iowa voters have spoken clearly through their elected representatives, both in 2018 when the original heartbeat bill was passed and signed into law, and again in 2023 when it passed by an even larger margin,” Reynolds said in a statement. “I’m glad that the Iowa Supreme Court has upheld the will of the people of Iowa.”
She also said the state would work to promote policies that “encourage strong families,” including in vitro fertilization protections.
