The Iowa Supreme Court just gave pro-life advocates a huge victory, reversing an activist ruling from back in 2018 that claimed abortion was a protected right in the state constitution.
Via the AP:
The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday cleared the way for lawmakers to severely limit or even ban abortion in the state, reversing a decision by the court just four years ago that guaranteed the right to abortion under the Iowa Constitution.
The court, now composed almost entirely of Republican appointees, concluded that a less conservative court wrongly decided that abortion is among the fundamental privacy rights guaranteed by the Iowa Constitution and federal law.
Friday’s ruling comes amid expectations that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Then Iowa lawmakers could ban abortion in the state without completing the lengthy process of amending the state constitution.
The Iowa decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed by abortion providers who challenged a 2020 law that required a 24-hour waiting period before a woman can get an abortion. A judge who struck down the law cited the state high court’s 2018 ruling. The judge also concluded that the law violated rules prohibiting passage of bills with more than one subject.
The state Supreme Court returned the waiting-period case to district court.
The reversal of the decision after just four years reflects a dramatic change in the court’s makeup. Gov. Kim Reynolds has named four justices since 2017, and six of the seven people on the court have been appointed by Republican governors.
Republican lawmakers control both houses in Iowa with strong majorities, so hopefully they will capitalize on this ruling and completely outlaw abortions in the state.
A ruling like this means everything now considering the Supreme Court is about to smash Roe v Wade into oblivion, because the authority to outlaw abortions will return to the states.
Let’s pray the Supreme Court justices don’t disappoint.