Iowa judge temporarily blocks 6-week abortion ban

This Monday, a judge temporarily blocked Iowa's recently enacted law that seeks to ban six-week abortions, which is when the first heartbeats of fetuses are usually detected.

Joseph Seidlin, Polk County district judge, decided to put on hold the legislation signed last Friday by Republican Governor Kim Reynolds, at least while the courts evaluate its constitutionality. This means that abortions up to 22 weeks of pregnancy will remain legal in Iowa until a final decision on the law is issued.

"The court believes it must follow current Iowa Supreme Court precedent and preserve the status quo ante while this litigation (moves forward)," Seidlin said.

The judge's decision came about because of a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the Emma Goldman Clinic and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa, arguing that the law runs counter to the constitutional rights of the inhabitants of that locality.

Governor reacts to the order

Reynolds issued a statement in response to the judge's decision, stating that this is another attempt by the abortion industry to thwart the will of the state's citizens. However, she clarified that this would not end her mission to defend the unborn.

"In their own words, the abortion industry stressed the need for a temporary injunction so they could continue with 200 scheduled abortions in the next two weeks. While Life was protected for a few days, now even more innocent babies will be lost (...), but I will fight this all the way to the Iowa Supreme Court where we expect a decision that will finally provide justice for the unborn," she said.