Planned Parenthood and ACLU of Iowa fights back abortion ban

(ABC 6 News) – Pro-choice advocates didn’t waste any time fighting back against Iowa’s new abortion ban.

The bill was passed by the Republican led House and Senate in a single day special session Tuesday.

Groups like Planned Parenthood have already gone to the courts to block the bill from becoming law.

This is exactly what happened back in 2018 when Republican lawmakers in Iowa passed nearly identical legislation.

Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Iowa believes the bill violates the rights of Iowans.

“Every day that the law is in effect, Iowans will face life threatening barriers to getting desperately needed medical care,” legal director of the ACLU of Iowa, Rita Bettis Austen said.

Governor Kim Reynolds, who launched a special session to get the bill passed, said she’ll sign the bill into law Friday.

It’s what groups like Iowa Right to Life have been hoping for.

They’re not surprised the ban is being challenged.

“We’re going to be optimistic; we’re going to hope that the Heartbeat Bill is enforced, even if it goes through the judicial process,” executive director of Iowa Right to Life, Kristi Judkins said.

The difference between now and 2018 is the groundbreaking move by the Supreme Court last year to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Both sides said the future remains uncertain.

“Right now, we want to celebrate, even though it was a victory but not get too overconfident because we know there is some work ahead of us,” Judkins said.

The legal challenge on Wednesday asked for a temporary injunction.

If granted, it would prevent the new ban from being enforced.

“We’re committed to this fight to protect Iowans reproductive freedom and ability to make what should be private medical decisions between a person, their doctor, their family, and their faith,” President and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, Ruth Richardson said.

It’s still unclear when the court’s decision whether or not to grant temporary injunction will be made.