Reynolds signs 24-hour abortion waiting period into law
Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed into law a 24-hour waiting period for any woman who wanted an abortion.
The governor released a statement Monday that reads: "I am proud to stand up for the sanctity of every human life...Life is precious, life is sacred, and we can never stop fighting for it. I applaud the Iowa lawmakers who had the courage to stand strong and take action to protect the unborn child."
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa have already filed a lawsuit to block the new law.
The amendment requires women to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion, preventing them from receiving the procedure during their initial appointment. It also requires patients to view an ultrasound of the fetus and receive adoption information.
Planned Parenthood and ACLU officials announced the lawsuit in state court last week.
"This legislation is billed as a 24-hour waiting period law, but make no mistake—in many cases, it will delay a person's ability to get an abortion by weeks," said Erin Davison-Rippey, Iowa Executive Director of Planned Parenthood North Central States. "Many of our patients must drive four or more hours one-way for abortion services, so this legislation will only create more hurdles to getting care. It's already hard enough for many Iowans to access abortion services, especially in the middle of a global pandemic. This is clearly a political ploy to create barriers to sexual and reproductive health care in Iowa.”
The lawsuit seeks a temporary injunction to block the law from going into effect July 1.
