July 2, 2024
After months of waiting for the Iowa Supreme Court to issue a ruling regarding a challenge to its heartbeat protection law, we finally have great news: the law was upheld. According to reporting from The Des Moines Register: “A divided Iowa Supreme Court decided 4-3 Friday to remove an injunction blocking enforcement of Iowa’s so-called ’fetal heartbeat’ abortion law and to remove legal barriers for future abortion restrictions.
The ruling is the latest in a string of legal disputes over the status of abortion in Iowa. It comes after the court in 2022 held there is no “fundamental right” to abortion, and a 2023 case in which the court split 3-3 on what the correct legal standard should be for judging the constitutionality of abortion laws.”
This was the third time in a span of many years that the state’s Supreme Court ruled on abortion.
READ: Is the Third Time the Charm for Heartbeat Protections in Iowa?
Naturally, Students for Life Action (SFLAction) is thrilled with this outcome, as we’ve worked tirelessly in Iowa over the years to secure passage of this heartbeat law, which was signed into effect by Gov. Kim Reynolds in July 2023. Leading up to this critical special session, SFLAction mobilized volunteers and students to engage and educate lawmakers in order to put forward the strongest possible protections for the preborn.
SFLAction previously advocated for additional pro-life legislation in Iowa, namely the End Chemical Abortions (HF 146) and the End Intentional Abortion (HF 510) bills, filed by Reps. Jeff Shipley and Luana Stoltenburg. If they passed, the laws would’ve closed abortion clinics and made abortion unavailable in Iowa.
READ: Lobby Day Recap: We’re Working to Cancel the Chemical Abortion Cartel in Iowa
SFLAction oroudly supported Rep. Shipley during his successful 2022 primary race, resulting in over 60,000 voter contact points.
Just like Gov. Reynolds ally Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ showed us in Florida, heartbeat protection laws are a far more effective way to protect life than 15-week laws, which allow more than nine in 10 abortions. And just like Iowa, Florida recently had their own Supreme Court ruling that protected the heartbeat protection laws that were signed into place.
TO READ MORE ABOUT OUR SUPPORT FOR HEARTBEAT PROTECTION LAWS AS A MINIMUM STANDARD, CLICK HERE.