Iowa Republicans jam through near-complete 6-week abortion ban in last-minute special session

• Iowa Republicans strong-armed a near-complete ban on abortions after 6 weeks to passage.
• The GOP-led legislature passed the ban after a hastily arranged special session.
• Gov. Kim Reynolds, who called for the special session, has pledged to quickly sign the ban into law.

Iowa Republicans on Tuesday night pushed through an almost complete ban on abortions after roughly 6 weeks of pregnancy, sending the legislation to Gov. Kim Reynolds who has pledged to quickly sign it into law.

"This bill protects unborn children in Iowa," Republican state- Rep. Shannon Lundgren said, The Des Moines Register reported. "This bill sets a clear standard where the state has an interest in the life of the child when the baby's heart starts beating. Where there is a heartbeat, there is life."

Reynolds called legislators back to Des Moines for a special session to pass what supporters deem a "fetal heartbeat" bill after the Iowa Supreme Court failed just over a month ago to allow a 2018 abortion ban to go into place. Iowa's highest court deadlocked 3-3, leading to a 2019 district court ruling striking down the 2018 law to stand. 

The vote on HF-732 passed late on Tuesday night with 32 yes votes to 17 nays. After the bill was passed a chorus of angry boos erupted from the gallery, along with angry cries of "shame" and "fuck you." 

Until the bill is signed into law and goes into effect, abortions remain legal for up to 20 weeks in the state. As soon as Reynolds signs the bill into law, it will go into effect. Opponents are expected to once again take the fight to state court. The US Supreme Court's landmark ruling overturning Roe v. Wade opened the door to proposals such as Iowa's near-complete 6-week ban.

Protestors flooded the halls inside the Capitol to voice their opposition, The Des Moines Register reported. Republicans control a trifecta in the state, meaning that Iowa Democrats had little recourse but to pressure their colleagues and propose amendments that were virtually destined to fail during the at times acrimonious special session.

"None of us have any business being in a doctor's office when these decisions are made," House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst said during the floor debate before House passage. "Women will be less free in a few hours than they are right now," 

The Republican-led bill does not name a specific time when abortions would be prohibited. Instead, it requires doctors to perform an abdominal ultrasound before administering an abortion. If a "fetal heartbeat" is detected, an abortion could only be performed in limited circumstances. Physicians specializing in reproductive health have criticized people who use the terms such as "fetal heartbeat" as they argue it can be misleading, NPR previously reported. Generally, such a sound is detected after 6 weeks of pregnancy. Many do not know if they are pregnant within 6 weeks.

The bill does allow for limited exceptions in the case of rape, incest, or if the mother's health is at risk. The rape and incest provisions require reports to be made within a set number of days to the police or a health agency. There are also limited exceptions for miscarriages and a "medical emergency."

Reynolds has presided over an era in which the state's Republican Party and its majorities in both chambers have grown to their strongest levels in years. Only one statewide election official, Auditor Rob Sand, is a Democrat. It is a massive sea change in a state that President Barack Obama carried twice.