Skip to content
NOWCAST KCCI News at 6am Weekday Morning
Live Now
Advertisement

Gov. Reynolds signs 'fetal heartbeat' bill into law

Gov. Reynolds signs 'fetal heartbeat' bill into law
WITH BREAKING NEWS. IOWA’S NEWEST ABORTION RESTRICTION IS NOW LAW. GOVERNOR REYNOLDS SIGNED THE SO-CALLED FETAL HEARTBEAT BILL IN FRONT OF AN ECSTATIC CROWD IN DES MOINES AT NEARLY THE SAME MOMENT, A POLK COUNTY JUDGE DASHED THE HOPES OF ABORTION RIGHTS ADVOCATES. THEY HAD ARGUED THE LAW SHOULD NOT BE ENFORCED. THE NEW LAW BANS ABORTIONS ONCE FETAL CARDIAC ACTIVITY IS DETECTED. DOCTORS SAY THAT BEGINS AROUND SIX WEEKS OF PREGNANCY. THE LAW TAKES EFFECT IMMEDIATELY. TODAY WAS A VICTORY. YEARS IN THE MAKING FOR CONSERVATIVES, BUT THE SIGNING KICKS OFF WHAT COULD BE A LENGTHY COURT BATTLE. OUR TEAM COVERAGE STARTS WITH KCCI BEAU BOWMAN BO. WELL, STACY, AT THE HEARING TODAY IN POLK COUNTY DISTRICT COURT, THE JUDGE SAID THAT THAT HE WOULD NOT ISSUE AN INJUNCTION ON JUST YET. LAWYERS HAD TO ARGUE ON THE LAWSUITS, ODDS FOR THE LAWSUIT’S SUCCESS IN THE HIGHER COURTS IF THEY IF IT WAS TO GET THERE. AN ATTORNEY FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD ARGUED THAT UNDER THIS LAW, A VAST MAJORITY OF ABORTIONS IN THE STATE WOULD BE BANNED, THUS CREATING AN UNDUE BURDEN, THE STANDARD ON WHICH THE IOWA SUPREME COURT HAS PREVIOUSLY RULED ON THE STATE’S ATTORNEY ARGUED THE COURT DOESN’T HAVE TO LEAN ON THAT THAT STANDARD. AND SINCE THE IOWA CONSTITUTION NO LONGER GUARANTEES THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO AN ABORTION, THE COURTS CAN APPLY A DIFFERENT STANDARD. ESTABLISHING A REASONABLE CONNECTION TO A LEGITIMATE INTEREST OF THE GOVERNMENT. NOW, ALMOST AT THE EXACT SAME MOMENT, GOVERNOR REYNOLDS SIGNED THE BILL, DISTRICT COURT JUDGE JOSEPH SALEN DECIDED NOT TO ISSUE A RULING FROM THE BENCH. I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING THAT IS WOULD BE MORE INSULTING TO EITHER SIDE THAN FOR A JUDGE WHO BEFORE WEDNESDAY AT 11:00, HAD NO IDEA THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN ANY OF THIS. WOULD LISTEN TO ARGUMENTS AND THEN RULE FROM THE BENCH. NOW, SALEN TOLD THE COURTROOM HE WOULD HOPE TO MAKE A A RULING BY MONDAY OR TUESDAY AT THE ABSOLUTE LATEST. BUT UNTIL AN INJUNCTION IS GRANTED, THE LAW THAT GOVERNOR REYNOLDS SIGNED TODAY IS IN EFFECT. WE’RE LIVE IN DES MOINES, BEAU BOWMAN KCCI EIGHT NEWS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER AND GOVERNOR REYNOLDS SIGNED THAT NEW LAW IN FRONT OF THE STATE’S TOP EVANGELICAL LEADERS AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES. KCCI IS JAMES STRATTON SHOWS US HOW WE GOT HERE. JAMES AND STACY WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN, GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS HEAVILY RESTRICTED ABORTION IN OUR STATE. SHE SIGNED THE BILL IN FRONT OF ABOUT 2000 SUPPORTERS AT THE FAMILY LEADERSHIP SUMMIT IN DES MOINES. THE LEGISLATION BLOCKS ABORTION. ONCE A FETAL HEARTBEAT CAN BE DETECTED. THE LAW STATES. DOCTORS SAY CARDIAC ACTIVITY IS USUALLY DETECTED AROUND SIX WEEKS OF PREGNANCY AND BEFORE MANY WOMEN KNOW THAT THEY’RE EVEN PREGNANT. THE BILL PASSED AFTER A ONE DAY SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT LASTED ROUGHLY 14 HOURS. TODAY, GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS CELEBRATED THAT BILL BEFORE SIGNING PROTECTING UNBORN BORN HUMAN LIVES FROM THE ATROCITY OF ABORTION, A WORTHY BATTLE AND ONE I WILL NEVER CONCEDE THIS WEEK IN A RARE AND HISTORIC SPECIAL SESSION, THE IOWA LEGISLATURE VOTED FOR A SECOND TIME TO REJECT THE INHUMANITY OF ABORTION AND PASS THE FETAL HEARTBEAT LAW IN THAT NEW LAW IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THAT ONE THAT PASSED IN 2018, ULTIMATELY BLOCKED BY A POLK COUNTY JUDGE BEFORE IT WENT UP. THE SYSTEM ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPREME COURT. THIS TIME A LOWER INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW COULD BE IMPLEMENTED WHEN DECIDING IF IT’S UNCONSTITUTIONAL. AGAIN, AS BEAU SAID, THAT POLL COUNTY JUDGE HOPES TO MAKE THAT DECISION MONDAY, HE SAID TUESDAY AT THE VERY LATEST. STACY JAMES, THANK YOU. IOWA DEMOCRATS BELIEVE THE NEW RESTRICTIONS GO AGAINST WHAT THE MAJORITY OF IOWANS WANT. IN A STATEMENT, CHAIRPERSON RITA HART SAYS, QUOTE, KIM REYNOLDS SHOWED HOW MUCH SHE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT IOWANS WHEN SHE SIGNED A CRUEL, UNPOPULAR ABORTION BILL INTO LAW.
Advertisement
Gov. Reynolds signs 'fetal heartbeat' bill into law
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday afternoon signed into law Iowa's new ban on most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.She did so at the Family Leadership Summit, where about 2,000 conservative Christians gathered to hear from a half-dozen presidential candidates. As Reynolds signed the legislation, the legality of the abortion restrictions was being debated in a Polk County courtroom.The legal challenge that spurred Friday's hearing was filed Wednesday morning by the ACLU of Iowa, Planned Parenthood North Central States and the Emma Goldman Clinic. The organizations are asking the judge to postpone the implementation of the law.The judge said he will try to have a ruling by the end of Monday, July 17.Video above: What are the exemptions to Iowa's new abortion bill?According to the text of the legislation, the law prohibits almost all abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Cardiac activity is usually detected around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant. The bill passed with exclusively Republican support late on Tuesday at the conclusion of a rare, 14-hour special legislative session.Recent abortion coverageIowa Legislature passes abortion restrictions, bill goes to governor's desk'Fetal heartbeat' bill: How each Iowa lawmaker voted in special sessionWhat are the exemptions to Iowa's new abortion bill?Lawsuit filed to block enforcement of Iowa's new abortion restrictions'Overjoyed': Women against abortion react to 'fetal heartbeat' bill, share personal stories‘It feels like a hostile attack’: Iowa doctor expresses concern over new abortion restrictionsInformation from the Associated Press was used in this article.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday afternoon signed into law Iowa's new ban on most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.

She did so at the Family Leadership Summit, where about 2,000 conservative Christians gathered to hear from a half-dozen presidential candidates.

Advertisement

As Reynolds signed the legislation, the legality of the abortion restrictions was being debated in a Polk County courtroom.

The legal challenge that spurred Friday's hearing was filed Wednesday morning by the ACLU of Iowa, Planned Parenthood North Central States and the Emma Goldman Clinic. The organizations are asking the judge to postpone the implementation of the law.

The judge said he will try to have a ruling by the end of Monday, July 17.

Video above: What are the exemptions to Iowa's new abortion bill?

According to the text of the legislation, the law prohibits almost all abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Cardiac activity is usually detected around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant. The bill passed with exclusively Republican support late on Tuesday at the conclusion of a rare, 14-hour special legislative session.

    Recent abortion coverage

    Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.