Iowa has officially enacted a heartbeat bill that limits abortions to around six weeks, leveraging the power to make decisions at the state level instead of the federal level.
The law took effect on Friday and restricts nearly all abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy, with limited exceptions like rape and incest.
The legislation comes as a result of serious activity in the state legislature this week. The Iowa House and Senate passed the legislation in one rare 14-hour day on Tuesday, sending the bill directly to the governor's desk. Governor Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law in Des Moines on Friday afternoon at the FAMiLY Leadership Conference, headed by Convention of States endorser Bob Vander Plaats.
"Everyone understands that a heartbeat signifies life, and we understand that when it falls silent, something precious has been lost...I have never been prouder to, once again, sign a bill into law," Reynolds declared.
Abortions were allowed in Iowa up until 20 weeks. Reynolds previously spearheaded a pro-life effort in 2018, but the state Supreme Court blocked the legislation in June.
"The Iowa Supreme Court questioned whether this legislature would pass the same law they did in 2018, and today they have a clear answer," Reynolds said after the state legislature passed the bill. "The voices of Iowans and their democratically elected representatives cannot be ignored any longer, and justice for the unborn should not be delayed."
The latest effort sparked outrage among pro-abortion proponents and Democrat legislators, who loudly voiced their discontent at the Capitol this week. Additionally, pro-choice groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood – both opposed to COS – are prepared to fight the new law.
“The ACLU of Iowa, Planned Parenthood, and the Emma Goldman Clinic remain committed to protecting the reproductive rights of Iowans to control their bodies and their lives, their health, and their safety —including filing a lawsuit to block this reckless, cruel law,” said ACLU of Iowa Executive Director Mark Stringer.
SEE ALSO: Ohio legislators introduce Convention of States Resolution
The overturning of Roe one year ago empowered many states to enact abortion restrictions, rather than relying on the federal government to carry the authority. Convention of States is all about empowering the states and the people to reclaim their sovereignty from an overreaching federal bureaucracy.
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