Iowa Republicans pass bill banning most abortions after about 6 weeks, governor to sign on Friday

Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature has passed a bill banning most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy. The vote came during a marathon special session Tuesday that continued late into the night. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds immediately said in a statement she would sign the bill on Friday. Reynolds ordered the rare session after the state Supreme Court declined to reinstate a nearly identical law that she signed in 2018. The legislation will take immediate effect with the governor’s signature. It will prohibit almost all abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, which is usually around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant.