Iowa Republicans pass bill banning most abortions after about 6 weeks

Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature passed a bill prohibiting most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, in a bid that received significant opposition from Democrats and abortion advocates.

Legislation details: The bill passed in an extended legislative session, and Governor Kim Reynolds intends to sign it on Friday.
* The legislation will take immediate effect, banning most abortions once cardiac activity, which is usually detectable around six weeks of pregnancy, can be identified.
* Exceptions include cases of rape, incest, if the fetus has a severe abnormality, or if the woman’s life is endangered.
* Reynolds called for the session after the state Supreme Court declined to reinstate a similar law she signed in 2018.

Public reaction: The bill passed amid vocal objections from Democratic lawmakers and abortion advocates, with protesters in the public gallery yelling “shame” at state senators after its approval.
* Sara Eide of the Iowa Catholic Conference encouraged lawmakers to vote in favor, arguing that the unborn child has distinct human value and rights.
* Hilary McAdoo, a fertility nurse, voiced her opposition, expressing concern over the six-week cutoff, declaring it “impossible and irresponsible.”

Future legal challenges: Legal challenges are planned immediately once the legislation is signed into law.
* Several organizations including the ACLU of Iowa, Planned Parenthood, and the Emma Goldman Clinic have pledged to protect the reproductive rights of Iowans and have expressed intentions to file a lawsuit to challenge the new law.

Impacts on abortion services: Planned Parenthood North Central States announced they will refer patients out of state if they’re scheduled for abortions in the next few weeks.
* The organization, the largest abortion provider in the state, will continue to provide care to patients who present before cardiac activity is detected.

View original article on NPR

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