The Iowa court blocks the 72-hour waiting period for abortions

OF THE MONKS, Iowa – The Supreme Court of Iowa blocked a law imposing a waiting period of 72 hours before a woman could have an abortion. The court ruled that the law violates the Constitution of Iowa, placing itself with a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood of Iowa and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa. The organizations sued the state over the law approved by lawmakers last year

A district court judge upheld the waiting period in September, but the Supreme Court has blocked its application until it can hear the arguments of both parties. is part of a law prohibiting most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The 20-week ban is in effect and is not part of the court challenge.

Planned Parenthood argued that the court "should join the higher courts in many other states that have ruled that the right to choose abortion has been granted under the federal Constitution. "The organization said the supreme courts in 12 states had made such decisions."

The Supreme Court of Iowa has identified privacy as a fundamental right in previous cases. argued that the court should conclude, in this case, that abortion was a fundamental right of privacy and should be treated as other fundamental rights under the Constitution of Iowa [19659002] "Iowa chose to impose harsher burdens on women who choose abortion. Clapman said that women seeking abortions in Iowa "are already making prudent decisions. massive obstacles in achieving their decision. "The mandatory waiting period, also called the informed choice provision, would aggravate these hurdles," she wrote.

Iowa Solicitor General Jeffrey Thompson, who defends the law for the state, argued that the protection of unborn life is an interest state of the highest level.He said that choosing to terminate a pregnancy is not a fundamental right under the Constitution of Iowa, and that the waiting period gives women time to consider the procedure that abortion providers are required to provide.

"The informed choice provision does not remove the final decision of the woman, but reflects the hope of the legislature that after receiving the information and took the time to take it into consideration, some women will choose to continue "

Iowa legislators earlier this year also adopted a so-called "law Heartbeat ", that would prohibit abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, at about six weeks of a pregnancy. Backers hoped this would put Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that establishes a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy until a fetus is viable. But critics have argued that the bill would ban abortions even before some women know they were pregnant. This law is also suspended pending a court challenge.