Iowa’s Fetal Heartbeat Bill Temporarily Blocked
By: Tracy Mcneme Carrothers – Confluence Daily is your daily news source for women in the know.
A new very restrictive abortion law slated to take effect July 1 was temporarily halted today by a Polk County judge. The plaintiffs challenging the law and the state both agreed to the temporary injunction.
On May 2 Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. The fetal heartbeat bill, as it is called, bans most abortions once a heartbeat is detected. Women in need of an abortion after 6 weeks would have to travel out of state and that isn’t a possibility for many women with limited economic means.
This law, which is a violation of women’s constitutional rights, was met with swift action by those dedicated to fighting for women’s freedom to control their own bodies.
Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and The Emma Goldman Clinic challenged the law the in state court as co-plaintiffs and that led to the temporary injunction granted today.
The fact that the challenge to the law was filed in state court is a positive in that it will be more difficult to get the case into the federal court system. Taking a case like this to the United States Supreme Court has been the long-term goal for anti-abortion groups who would like to see Roe v. Wade overturned.
Women in Iowa can take comfort that at least for now they will retain sovereignty over their bodies and their reproductive health. As the legal challenges progress through the court system, anti-abortion and pro-choice groups will watch closely as the effort to roll back the reproductive rights of women to a non-existent state continues.
More by Tracy:
Iowa Governor Signs Most Restrictive Abortion Law in the Country – Welcome to Gilead
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