Iowa Supreme Court allows six-week abortion ban to go into effect

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.

“As the heartbeat bill finally becomes law, we are deeply committed to supporting women in planning for motherhood, and promoting fatherhood and its importance in parenting," Reynolds added. "We will continue to develop policies that encourage strong families, which includes promoting adoption and protecting in vitro fertilization. Families are the cornerstone of society, and it’s what will keep the foundation of our state and country strong for generations to come.”

The law banning abortion restrictions in the Hawkeye State will go into effect just over two years after the Supreme Court paved the way for states to restrict abortion with its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. The 2022 decision overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion law to states to decide.

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Since the Dobbs decision, Democrats have used abortion as one of their main issues in campaigning. The Democratic Party's state campaign wing denounced the law as "extreme" and called Friday a "dark day for Iowans."

“Today is a dark day for Iowans as they wake up with fewer rights because of extreme Republicans who are dead set on attacking abortion access. This extreme six-week ban is a slap in the face to women and families whose healthcare will be compromised," Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee National press secretary Sam Paisley said in a statement.