Iowans await Supreme Court decision on 6-week abortion ban

The Iowa Supreme Court is expected to release a decision Friday about whether the state can ban most abortions at six weeks .

Why it matters: The monumental moment could change Iowans' lives and reshape the state's politics and health care.

Catch up quick: Iowa Republican lawmakers passed a " fetal heartbeat" law banning most abortions at six weeks during a special one-day session last July.

• There are specific exceptions in the case of rape, incest or to save the life of the patient.
• A Polk County judge temporarily blocked the law a week later which escalated the question to the state Supreme Court after the state appealed.

Flashback: Republican lawmakers passed a similar law in 2018, but it was struck down after a district judge cited a past Iowa Supreme Court ruling that had declared abortions to be a state constitutional right.

What's new: This time around, the circumstances — and abortion protections — are completely different.

• Roe v. Wade, which granted federal abortion protections, was overturned in 2022.
• That same year, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed itself and ruled that abortions were not a guaranteed right under the state constitution .

Zoom in: All seven members of the state's highest court were appointed by Republican governors — Gov. Kim Reynolds and former Gov. Terry Branstad.

The big picture: Since the Dobbs ruling, 17 states have banned abortions at six weeks or earlier.