A federal judge blocked an Iowa abortion law Tuesday that would require waiting periods and ultrasounds before abortions.
Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law Monday, about a week after the bill passed the Iowa state legislature, the Hill reports.
“I am proud to stand up for the sanctity of every human life,” Reynolds said in a statement to The Associated Press. “I applaud the Iowa lawmakers who had the courage to stand strong and take action to protect the unborn child.”
But Judge Mitchell Turner issued a temporary injunction Tuesday evening preventing the law from going into effect until a lawsuit by Planned Parenthood of the Heartland is resolved, the Ames Tribune reported.
The Planned Parenthood affiliates sued the Iowa Board of Medicine, the state of Iowa, and the governor, according to the publication, attempting to block the implementation of the new law. (RELATED: Florida Gov Signs Law Requiring Parental Consent Before Girls Can Get Abortions)
The forced 24-hour waiting period law will be blocked while the court considers Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit against the State. Patients can continue to seek abortion care without the burden of a state-mandated delay and extra appointment. https://t.co/hSIgLrK9fY pic.twitter.com/tORSK0VYBY
— Planned Parenthood (@ppnorthcentral) July 1, 2020
“We’re glad that patients can seek abortion care without the burden of a state-mandated delay and extra appointment,” Erin Davison-Rippey, Iowa executive director of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said in a press release. “I want to be sure all Iowans know their access to safe, legal abortion remains the same.”
She continued: “Many of our patients drive hours to their appointments, and to require a second, medically unnecessary visit creates serious obstacles. Many must take off time from work, arrange and pay for child care, and find transportation and this law would add more barriers to necessary health care in the middle of a pandemic. Iowans need improved access to sexual and reproductive health care, especially now.”
“We’ll keep fighting to make that happen,” she added.
Reynolds did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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