The state of Iowa is set to ban abortion statewide; however, the legislature, if signed, could spark a national debate about Roe v. Wade and effectually thwart the argument for abortion.
Both the Iowa state House and Senate passed the “Heartbeat” bill that will eliminate the practice of abortion from within the state. Now, pro-life Republican Governor Kim Reynolds will determine if the bill becomes law.
In the majority of cases, most babies exhibit a heartbeat as early as six weeks, meaning that it would finally be unlawful to murder an unborn child after a heartbeat is detected.
However, there are exemptions to the rule;
- The woman was raped and reports the rape to a law enforcement agency, a public or private health agency or a family physician within 45 days;
- The woman was the victim of incest and reports the issue to a law enforcement agency, a public or private health agency or a family physician within 140 days;
- “Not all the products of conception are expelled” following a spontaneous miscarriage;
- A physician certifies that the fetus has an abnormality that, in the physician’s “reasonable medical judgment,” is incompatible with life.
If the Governor of Iowa, a pro-life Republican, signs the bill and makes it become law, there will most likely be legal battles against it by pro-choice advocates, meaning that the bill would land in higher courts. The result of such could be a challenge to Roe v. Wade.