Iowa Supreme Court Upholds Ruling to Block Law that Would Have Largely Banned Abortion in the State

The Iowa Supreme Court has refused to reinstate a law that would have largely banned abortion in the state, upholding a 2019 district court ruling that blocked the law. The decision comes roughly a year after the same body — and the U.S. Supreme Court — determined that women do not have a fundamental constitutional right to abortion.

The blocked law would have banned abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant. The law was blocked by a 2019 district court ruling, and the Iowa Supreme Court upheld this ruling in a rare 3-3 split decision on Friday.

The decision to uphold the ruling has been met with approval from pro-choice advocates, who argue that the law would have severely limited access to abortion in the state. Governor Kim Reynolds, who had requested the law be reinstated, expressed her disappointment with the ruling.

The decision to uphold the 2019 ruling is a victory for pro-choice advocates in Iowa, and a setback for those who had hoped to see the law reinstated. It is also a reminder that the right to abortion is still protected in the state, despite the efforts of some to limit access to the procedure.