Iowa legislature passes heartbeat abortion ban during special session

The Iowa legislature passed a bill banning most abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected, typically around 6 weeks of pregnancy, and Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds says she plans on signing the legislation into law on Friday.

The Republican-controlled legislature passed the bill Tuesday during a special session that Reynolds convened with the purpose of passing pro-life legislation.

"Today, the Iowa legislature once again voted to protect life and end abortion at a heartbeat, with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother," Reynolds said after the bill passed.

The use of the term "heartbeat" is controversial, as cardiac activity can be detected weeks before a fetus develops an actual heart.

State Democratic lawmakers tried to grant more exceptions for abortion in the bill. For example, State Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, a Democrat, proposed an amendment that would allow pregnant girls ages 12 or under to obtain an abortion. 

"For the love of Pete, that's child abuse," Brown-Powers said, according to Reuters. "We're standing here debating a bill to save babies, but yet we would put a 12-year-old, an 11-year-old, a 10-year-old through this?" 

Iowa Senate President Amy Sinclair, a Republican, pointed out that the law protects unborn babies rather than punishing women who seek abortions.

"This bill does not hold a woman criminally or civilly liable for having an abortion," she said.

The bill comes after Reynolds tried to reinstate Iowa's 2018 heartbeat abortion ban but was blocked by the courts.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.