DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has received permission from the Iowa Supreme Court to proceed with an appeal on a temporary block placed on the state’s new abortion law.
Last week, Reynolds announced her intentions to appeal and stated that it was only a matter of time before the state’s lawyers filed the request, which they did on Friday. The Iowa Supreme Court needed to determine if the appeal could move forward.
The Republican-controlled Legislature passed the measure during a special session on July 11, which effectively bans most abortions after approximately six weeks of pregnancy. The law went into effect shortly after Reynolds signed it. However, the ACLU of Iowa, Planned Parenthood North Central States, and the Emma Goldman Clinic filed a legal challenge, and on July 17, Judge Joseph Seidlin granted their request to halt the law’s implementation while its constitutionality is assessed by the courts.
While the new law remains on hold, abortion in Iowa remains legal up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Reynolds is seeking the state Supreme Court’s intervention to overturn the lower court’s ruling and allow the law to be reinstated. The full court has reviewed Reynolds’ application for appeal, but a spokesperson did not disclose whether all justices would consider the appeal itself.
In June, a justice’s recusal resulted in a rare 3-3 decision, maintaining the block on an almost identical 2018 law. This led Reynolds to call for the special session. In 2018, despite state and federal court decisions, including Roe, affirming a woman’s constitutional right to abortion, the law was passed. However, both courts overturned those decisions last year.
The state Supreme Court has the option to rule solely on the temporary injunction or expedite a decision on the merits of the law itself.