Iowa's controversial 'heartbeat' abortion law deemed unconstitutional

Source: ABC News


A district court judge issued the ruling, marking the latest legal hurdle.

By Meghan Keneally31m ago

A controversial law in Iowa that sought to ban women from getting abortions after a fetal heartbeat was detected has been ruled unconstitutional by a state judge.

The so-called "heartbeat bill" never went into effect in Iowa because it faced legal challenges ever since Gov. Kim Reynolds signed it into law in May 2018.

Opponents noted that a fetal heartbeat can sometimes be detected as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, at which point some women may not know that they are pregnant, and it shortens the window by which a woman could have a legal abortion in the state.

The latest decision, issued on Jan. 22 in the Polk County District Court, deemed it unconstitutional in the face of the state's laws.

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