DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has formally filed an appeal with the Iowa Supreme Court over a current injunction on a 2023 abortion law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds.
Back in July, the Iowa Legislature held a special session to pass a bill that would ban most abortions after roughly six weeks. Reynolds signed the bill into law just a few days later.
"Except in the case of a medical emergency or fetal heartbeat exception, a physician shall not perform an abortion unless the physician has first complied with the prerequisites of chapter 146A and has tested the pregnant woman as specified in this subsection, to determine if a fetal heartbeat is detectable," HF732 reads.
The ACLU and Planned Parenthood sued to stop the law from going into effect, and a Polk County judge blocked it from being enforced.
In an appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court, the state writes that the district court decision was an "error" due to the 2022 high court ruling that abortion is not a guaranteed right in the Iowa Constitution.
"The people of Iowa and their elected representatives have spoken clearly and by a wider margin than before: it’s time for the Fetal Heartbeat Law to be upheld once and for all," Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement. "The injunction placed on Iowa’s Fetal Heartbeat Law has already led to the innocent deaths of children. It needs to end. Every life is valuable and worth our state's protection – no matter what stage of life they are in."
As the legal challenge continues, abortion in Iowa remains legal up until the 20-week mark of pregnancy.
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WATCH: Vice President Kamala Harris discusses abortion access during Des Moines visit (July 28, 2023)