Iowa Supreme Court Ruling Strikes Constitutional Protection For Abortion

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The Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday that there is no legal protection for abortion under the state constitution.

This ruling overturned a 2018 district court decision regarding a law that required women to wait 24 hours before they can have an abortion.

Under Republican Governor Kim Reynolds’ leadership, the Iowa Supreme Court has seen a dramatic change in its composition. He has appointed four of the seven justices to the court since 2017.

WHO13 News reports that Justice Edward Mansfield wrote the opinion. He says it was not a political decision but a correction of one.

Justice Edward Mansfield released Friday’s opinion, which stated that the court was not bound to follow precedents in cases that evaluate constitutional rights or cases recently decided.

This reflects a drastic change in the composition of the court. Gov. Kim Reynolds has appointed four justices to the court since 2017. Six of the 7 members are Republican governors.

Mansfield, however, rejected the argument of legal scholars and professors that shifting opinions on important matters in a short time period feeds into the notion that courts are politicized.

He stated that he did not believe every state supreme court ruling should be subject to a minimum period of trial before it could be challenged.

This Iowa ruling serves as a pre-gaming for the impending SCOTUS verdict that could invalidate Roe V. Wade.