Iowa asks state Supreme Court to uphold six-week abortion ban

Iowa on Thursday asked the state Supreme Court to permit its six-week abortion ban to take effect.

The ban has been stayed since last year pending litigation. The state Supreme Court in June of last year split 3-3 on whether to overturn a temporary block and it remained in place. Abortion is currently legal at 20 weeks in the state.

Iowa GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds has sought to end the legal logjam and asked the court both to permit the law's enforcement and to uphold it in its entirety, the Associated Press reported. The court is expected to issue a decision by the end of its term in June.

Iowa's six-week ban would allow exceptions for instances of rape, incest, certain fetal abnormalities, and threats to the life of the mother.

A similar six-week ban in Florida is expected to take effect in May, though abortion access in the Sunshine State will be subject to a November ballot referendum.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.