Iowa Catholic Conference staff was pleased to be present when Gov. Terry Branstad signed Senate File 471 on May 5. The bill prohibits abortion after 20 weeks post-fertilization with exceptions to save the life of the mother or for a serious physical health emergency. The bill also contains a three-day waiting period before an abortion. The ICC has been working on similar legislation since 2011 and it is the first limitation on abortion passed in Iowa for many years.
The ACLU and Planned Parenthood have filed a lawsuit against the bill in Polk County District Court. The Iowa Supreme Court issued an injunction May 5 stopping enforcement of the three-day waiting period before an abortion.
