Iowa governor signs 'fetal heartbat' law, banning nearly all abortions in state
The governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds, signed an anti-abortion legislation on Friday barring nearing all abortions in the state after a fetal heartbeat is detected. The law is reportedly the most restrictive abortion bill in the United States.
Shortly before the signing of the bill, the security at the Iowa Capital was tightened with several state troopers positioned outside the governor's office on Friday.
Reynolds, while signing the bill, said: "I believe that all innocent life is precious and sacred, and as governor, I pledged to do everything in my power to protect it. That is what I am doing today." Reynolds, a Republican, has been outspoken in her opposition to abortion.
The Iowa Senate gave the bill a final approval early Wednesday on a divided vote, according to reports. The legislation will come into effect on July 1 if the courts do not stop it.
Reports state that the law will require all physicians in the state to conduct an abdominal ultrasound to test for a fetal heartbeat on any woman who comes to them seeking for an abortion. The physician, by law, cannot perform an abortion of a heartbeat is detected, USA Today reported.
Iowa's largest provider of abortions, Planned Parenthood, ahead of the signing of the bill on Friday, had announced that it would file a lawsuit of the governor signed the law.
The president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Suzanna de Baca, said: "It’s shameful that when Planned Parenthood heard lawmakers were introducing legislation to ban abortion, we were outraged — but we weren’t surprised."
"But I think many of us still never expected that Governor Reynolds would so swiftly jump to sign a bill that is so clearly unconstitutional," she added.
Reynolds, on Wednesday, had said that she would work with her staff on the bill before making any final decisions on it.
Iowa already has the most strict anti-abortion laws in the United States. The state, last month, had barred most abortions after 20 weeks.