Iowa’s High Court Weighs Abortion Ban After Contentious Back-And-Forth
The seven justices, all appointed to the bench by Republicans, will decide whether to let a law that bans abortions as early as six weeks of pregnancy take effect. Other abortion news is from Tennessee, Missouri, Florida, and Maine.
Iowa Public Radio:
Iowa Supreme Court To Decide If 6-Week Abortion Ban Can Take Effect
The state asked the Iowa Supreme Court Thursday to let Iowa’s law that bans abortions as early as six weeks of pregnancy take effect, as lawyers for abortion providers argued the law is unconstitutional and must be permanently blocked. It was the second time in as many years the Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments over what supporters call a “fetal heartbeat” law in the state. The seven Republican-appointed justices are now poised to decide by the end of June if the Iowa Constitution allows for a strict abortion ban. (Sostaric, 4/11)
AP:
Tennessee Senate OKs A Bill That Would Make It Illegal For Adults To Help Minors Seeking Abortions
Republican lawmakers in Tennessee on Wednesday advanced legislation making it illegal for adults to help minors get an abortion without parental consent, sparking objections from Democrats who counter that doing so could result in young victims needing approval from their parents who may have raped them in order to terminate the pregnancies. The GOP-controlled Senate signed off on the proposal 26-3. The bill is still advancing toward the floor in the House. (Kruesi, 4/10)
St. Louis Public Radio:
Missourians Likely Won’t Vote On Abortion Until November
One of the questions about a ballot measure legalizing abortion in Missouri is when the state’s voters would actually decide the initiative. Unless Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft uses a procedure aimed at speeding up the petition signature counting process, which his office says at this point he isn’t planning to do, it will be functionally impossible for signatures to be verified before the August primary. (Rosenbaum, 4/11)
Axios:
South Florida's Latino Population Could Swing Abortion Vote
Even as Miami-Dade County has shifted right in recent years, support for abortion rights has remained resilient among its majority Latino population, despite the group's strong religious views and typically conservative politics. Where South Florida's Latino population stands on the issue could be vital to the outcome of November's referendum that would enshrine a person's right to an abortion in the state constitution. (Brugal, 4/10)
Politico:
Anti-Abortion Groups Eye Challenge If Florida Voters Approves Ballot Measure
Anti-abortion groups in Florida will try to block implementation of a ballot measure protecting the procedure if voters approve the initiative in November, signaling that the fight over abortion rights in the state will likely continue far past this year’s elections. Mat Staver, the founder of the anti-abortion group Liberty Counsel and who argued against the ballot measure before the state Supreme Court last winter, said on Thursday that if voters approve the initiative, “there is a prime lawsuit waiting to take it up to the Florida Supreme Court.” (Sarkissian, 4/11)
Also —
The Hill:
Maine Republican Blames Mass Shooting On Law Expanding Abortion Access
Maine State Rep. Michael Lemelin (R) on Wednesday said the Lewiston mass shooting in October that left 18 people dead was a consequence from God after state lawmakers passed a law expanding abortion access in the state. In a fiery floor speech Wednesday, Lemelin warned against passing LD 227 — which would protect individuals who get abortions or gender-affirming care in Maine from facing legal consequences in other states — saying, “LD 227 will have severe consequences.” (Fortinsky, 4/11)
