Iowa asks state Supreme Court to let its restrictive abortion law go into effect

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa asked the state Supreme Court on Thursday to let its blocked abortion law go into effect and uphold it altogether, disputing abortion providers’ claims it infringes on women’s rights to exercise bodily autonomy.

The law, which bans most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant, was in effect for a few days last July. A district court judge soon after put it on pause for the courts to assess its constitutionality. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds appealed the decision with the state Supreme Court’s permission.

Abortion remains legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy while the new law is on hold.

Iowa lawmakers passed the measure with exclusively Republican support during a one-day special session. The ACLU of Iowa, Planned Parenthood North Central States and the Emma Goldman Clinic filed a legal challenge the next day.

Most Republican-led states have limited abortion access following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and 14 states have near total bans at all stages of pregnancy. Earlier this week, Arizona joined that set when the state’s Supreme Court upheld a long-dormant law that bans nearly all abortions, with no exceptions for rape or incest.

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