A district court judge has ruled that an Iowa law banning abortion once a baby’s heartbeat can be detected is unconstitutional.
Polk County District Judge Michael Huppert released a decision on Tuesday, citing the Iowa Supreme Court and its previous striking down of a law mandating a 72-hour waiting period for women seeking abortions.
“The Iowa Supreme Court held that a woman’s right to decide whether to terminate a pregnancy is a fundamental right under the Iowa Constitution, and that any governmental limits on that right are to be analyzed using strict scrutiny,” wrote Huppert in his decision.
ACLU of Iowa Legal Director Rita Bettis said in a statement released Tuesday that the decision was a “victory” that was “essential to the rights and safety of women in Iowa.”
“It follows in the footsteps of the Iowa Supreme Court decision on abortion in 2018 that recognized the fundamental right to a safe and legal abortion for Iowa women, which cannot be legislated away,” said Bettis, according to the Des Moines Register.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, who signed the bill into law last year, told The Daily Iowan that she was “disappointed” by the decision.
“I am incredibly disappointed in today’s court ruling, because I believe that if death is determined when a heart stops beating, then a beating heart indicates life,” said Reynolds.
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SOURCE: Christian Post, Michael Gryboski
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