Iowa AG defends Heartbeat Law in Iowa Supreme Court

(ABC 6 News) – On Nov. 8, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced she would take action to defend the state’s anti-abortion Fetal Heartbeat Law in the Iowa Supreme Court.

In July 2023, Governor Kim Reynolds called a special session to pass Iowa’s Fetal Heartbeat Law. Abortion providers then sued the state to prevent the law from going into effect.

The Polk County District Court also blocked the law from being enforced.

Following Bird’s Nov. 8 announcement, Reynolds said the following:

“The people of Iowa and their elected representatives have spoken clearly and by a wider margin than before: it’s time for the Fetal Heartbeat Law to be upheld once and for all,” said Reynolds. “The injunction placed on Iowa’s Fetal Heartbeat Law has already led to the innocent deaths of children. It needs to end. Every life is valuable and worth our state’s protection – no matter what stage of life they are in.” 

Governor Kim Reynolds

The law would bar an abortion once cardiac activity is detected, or around six weeks. The bill provides exemptions for medical emergencies, rape, incest or if the fetus is non-viable.

A common first sign of pregnancy is a missed period, which occur on about a four week cycle, according to healthcare providers. Studies also show that menstrual cycles are often irregular, not always fitting into the typical 28 day/four week cycle; sometimes coming three to seven days later, or not at all.

Studies found that most parents identify a possible pregnancy at around five and a half weeks.

When ABC 6 made called to abortion providers, we found that waiting times to receive an abortion in Iowa tend to last much longer. For example, the soonest available appointment in Des Moines, Iowa, (as of Nov. 9, 2023) is Wednesday Dec. 6, 2023 at a Planned Parenthood facility. Similar wait times occur in Sioux City.

However, Iowa City’s Planned Parenthood has one appointment slot available on Tuesday Nov. 14 and nothing beyond that date.

Additionally, Iowa mandates patients receive informed consent information at least 24 hours prior to their procedure, but waiting times can vary, according to Planned Parenthood. The state requires this information be given in-person at an Iowan health center. This means that, at minimum, a patient must attend two different appointments to undergo an abortion.