Iowa Supreme Court rules in favor of six-week abortion ban

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled in favor of banning abortions from the time a heartbeat is detected, which is as early as six weeks.

This decision comes after a tough court battle that began about a year ago, when the Republican-dominated Iowa Congress approved a bill to restrict access to abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.

A few days later, it was time to sign the bill into law. The governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds (Republican Party), supported the law, assuring that "despite the abortion industry’s best attempts, Iowa is protecting the most innocent and defenseless lives."

The law did not provide for a total ban. It only allowed abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy in three cases: if the life of the mother or baby was in danger or in the event of incest or rape. 

After signing the bill into law, the legal battle ensued. Polk County District Judge Joseph Seidlin accepted a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion organizations or groups and blocked the law by determining that it was better to put it on hold until higher courts confirmed its legality. Until the Iowa Supreme Court ruled, women could have abortions up to 22 weeks of pregnancy.

While the Justice was evaluating the case, several members of the Democratic Party attacked Iowa's Republican legislators. One example was Kamala Harris, who called her political opponents "extremists."