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A 3-3 Iowa Supreme Court ruling reaffirmed a lower court's 2019 decision legalizing abortion access up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. The split ruling was a blow to conservative lawmaker Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, who proposed a bill that would cap abortions at six weeks into pregnancy if passed.
Restrictive laws have cropped up around the nation after the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in June 2022, eliminating abortion as a constitutional right and leaving it up to states to decide the legality and terms of the procedure.
Several trigger laws took effect immediately after the Roe ruling. Efforts by conservative states to limit abortions have continued in the months following the rule, but courts continue to challenge those efforts.
The Iowa Supreme Court removed the right to abortion from the state's constitution last year, which was shortly followed by the overturn of Roe, which set the stage for Reynolds to propose a bill that would dissolve a former decision allowing abortions to be performed up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Abortions will remain legal in Iowa after the state's Supreme Court split in their decision on Friday. Therefore, a lower district court's ruling from 2019 permitting abortions up to 20 weeks of pregnancy remains in place.
Reynolds, a Republican who has retained her seat since 2017, condemned the Iowa Supreme Court's ruling in a statement issued shortly after the vote on Friday.
"To say that today's lack of action by the Iowa Supreme Court is a disappointment is an understatement," the governor said. "Not only does it disregard Iowa voters who elected representatives willing to stand up for the rights of unborn children, but it has sided with a single judge in a single county who struck down Iowa's legislation based on principles that now have been flat-out rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court."
"There is no fundamental right to abortion and any law restricting it should be reviewed on a rational basis standard," she said.
Reynolds added that she was "reviewing our options" to continue fighting for restricted access to abortion. Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver and Iowa Speaker of the House Pat Grassley, both Republicans, also criticized the vote.
Iowa Supreme Court Justices Susan Christensen, Thomas Waterman and Edward Mansfield ruled in favor of the district court's decision, and Justices Christopher McDonald, Matthew McDermott and David May voted to overturn the lower court's ruling, local news site We Are Iowa reported.
Justice Dana Oxley recused herself from the vote, which allowed for the tie vote.
Ruth Richardson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, called the ruling an "enormous win."
"It means that Iowans will be able to control their bodies and their futures," Richardson told Newsweek in a statement. "Your ZIP code shouldn't determine who controls your uterus. Each person deserves control of their body, and Iowans have that right, based on today's court decision."
"Abortion bans make pregnancy more dangerous than it already is, and it shouldn't matter which state you live in," Richardson said.
Update 06/16/23, 12:39 p.m. ET: This article was updated with more information.
Update 06/16/23, 12:10 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Ruth Richardson.
About the writer
Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more