The Iowa Supreme Court ruled on Friday that a law banning abortion when an unborn baby’s heartbeat can be detected can take effect in a victory for pro-life advocates.
In a 4-3 decision, the court said that protecting unborn babies when their heartbeats can be detected is a legitimate state interest. The decision means that Iowa’s previous 20-week limit on abortion will soon be around six weeks once the court’s ruling officially takes effect.
“We have previously held that abortion is not a fundamental right under the Iowa Constitution,” Justice Matthew McDermott wrote for the majority. “Applying our established tiers of scrutiny, we hold that abortion restrictions alleged to violate the due process clause are subject to the rational basis test. Employing that test here, we conclude that the fetal heartbeat statute is rationally related to the state’s legitimate interest…
