Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds calls for special session to revive abortion restrictions

KARAH RUCKER: IOWA REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS CALLED LAWMAKERS BACK TO DES MOINES FOR A SPECIAL SESSION NEXT WEEK TO PURSUE LEGISLATION TO RESTRICT ABORTION ACCESS IN THE HAWKEYE STATE. 

THE ABORTION TOPIC HAS BEEN A BACK-AND-FORTH STRUGGLE WITH REYNOLDS. BACK IN 2018, SHE SIGNED A LAW BANNING ABORTION ONCE A FETAL HEARTBEAT IS DETECTED, USUALLY AROUND SIX WEEKS. THE LAW WAS BLOCKED BECAUSE OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT’S LONG-STANDING 1973 RULING IN ROE V. WADE, WHICH GUARANTEED ABORTION RIGHTS NATIONWIDE. 

WHEN THE SUPREME COURT OVERTURNED ROE LAST YEAR, REYNOLDS IMMEDIATELY SOUGHT TO REVIVE THE 2018 LAW. BUT LAST MONTH, THE IOWA SUPREME COURT PERMANENTLY BLOCKED THE LAW, CITING THERE IS NO LEGAL MECHANISM FOR REVIVING IT. THE COURT WAS SPLIT 3-3, LEAVING OPEN THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE GOP-CONTROLLED LEGISLATURE COULD TRY TO PASS A SIMILAR BAN. BUT ANY NEW LAW IS LIKELY TO BE CHALLENGED IN STATE COURT. 

THIS IS A COMPLICATED STORY THAT RIGHT-LEANING MEDIA OUTLETS HAVE LARGELY IGNORED. IT’S CONSIDERED A MEDIA MISS ON THE RIGHT DUE TO HOW UNBALANCED THE SCALE OF COVERAGE IS. YOU CAN SEE THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE ON OUR WEBSITE’S MEDIA MISS TOOL WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE BIAS DISTRIBUTION OF A STORY. 

THE BLOCKED LAW, OR SO-CALLED “FETAL HEARTBEAT” LAW, HAS CRITICS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE. A PREGNANT WOMAN MAY NOT KNOW SHE’S PREGNANT UNTIL AFTER THE SIX WEEK WINDOW. AND MEDICAL EXPERTS SAY THE CARDIAC ACTIVITY IS NOT AN ACTUAL HEARTBEAT BUT RATHER AN INITIAL FLUTTER OF ELECTRIC MOVEMENT WITHIN THE CELLS IN AN EMBRYO. 

DEMOCRATS IN THE LEGISLATURE ISSUED STATEMENTS DENOUNCING THE PROPOSED RESTRICTIONS, SAYING IT GOES AGAINST WHAT THE MAJORITY OF IOWA RESIDENTS WANT. AN ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL SHOWS MANY AMERICANS, INCLUDING IOWANS, SUPPORT AT LEAST SOME ACCESS TO ABORTION IN GENERAL. BUT REYNOLDS DISAGREES. 

IN A NEWS RELEASE, SHE EXPRESSED HER DISAPPOINTMENT OVER THE ABORTION RESTRICTION BLOCK. SHE SAID QUOTE “AFTER YEARS OF LITIGATION, THE IOWA SUPREME COURT WAS SPLIT 3-3 LAST MONTH IN ITS OPINION REGARDING WHETHER A LOWER COURT’S INJUNCTION OF THE FETAL HEARTBEAT LAW SHOULD BE DISSOLVED. THIS LACK OF ACTION DISREGARDS THE WILL OF IOWA VOTERS AND LAWMAKERS WHO WILL NOT REST UNTIL THE UNBORN ARE PROTECTED BY LAW.”

HER OFFICE CONFIRMED THAT LAWMAKERS WILL MEET ON JULY 11. REYNOLDS HAS BEEN IN OFFICE SINCE 2017 AND HAS ONLY CALLED A SPECIAL SESSION ONE OTHER TIME. IN 2021, LAWMAKERS CAME TOGETHER IN TWO SEPARATE SPECIAL SESSIONS TO APPROVE THE DRAWING OF CONGRESSIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS.