Joseph Seidlin, a Polk County District court judge, temporarily blocked Iowa’s six-week ban on abortion bill which halted nearly all abortions for 72 hours. The bill was signed by the governor on Friday. Kim Reynolds signed the bill after a special session of state legislators was held on Tuesday for the “single purpose” to pass the legislation.

Ruth Richardson said in a press conference that the ruling today means Iowans can once again access safe and legal abortions and have control over their body autonomy, as this harmful legislation makes its way to the courts.

The block has been lifted, and abortion is now legal in the state up to 20-weeks. Meanwhile, the lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood of the Heartland (PPH), the Emma Goldman Clinic, and Planned Parenthood’s Medical Director, Dr. Sarah Traxler, moves through the court system of the state.

The court will grant temporary injunctions requested. The conclusion of Judge Seidlin stated that the court recognized there were good, honorable, and intelligent people on both sides in this disturbing societal and constitutional issue. The court feels it must adhere to the current Iowa Supreme Court precedents and maintain the status quo while this litigation, and adversarial presentation that our Supreme Court invited, moves forward.

Reynolds signed into law a previous ban on abortions after six weeks in 2018. A district court permanently overturned the law in January 2019 after ruling that it violated the Iowa Constitution and had no interest in prohibiting abortions at such an early stage of pregnancy.

Seidlin said Monday that “the current state of law in Iowa still holds, for the moment, some constitutional protection for women seeking abortions in Iowa. This requires an analysis based on the undue burden standard.” There is also a underlying reason for the Petitioners to be able to assert constitutional rights of women in Iowa seeking abortions.

Gov. Reynolds responded Monday to the court decision by vowing to challenge it.

She said that the abortion industry continues to try to undermine the will of Iowans, and their voices, through the Iowa Supreme Court. We expect to get a ruling which will provide justice to the unborn.