Iowa governor asks court to allow blocked 2018 abortion ban

By DAVID PITT
Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has asked the state courts to allow her to implement a 2018 law banning most abortions. The law was permanently blocked by a judge in 2019 as unconstitutional. Reynolds previously said she planned to take the matter to court instead of calling a special session to hold a divisive abortion debate and vote just months before she and several other Republican leaders run for reelection. The court filing Thursday is just the first step in a legal battle that could take months to resolve and is likely to end up before the state Supreme Court again. The law would ban abortions once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy.