Iowans must continue to protect unborn children following state high court order

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Chris Schandevel regarding the Iowa Supreme Court’s deadlocked order Friday in Planned Parenthood of the Heartland v. Reynolds. That result, with the justices split 3-3 on how to resolve the case, leaves in place a lower state court’s 2019 injunction that is preventing Iowa’s fetal heartbeat law from taking effect:

“States have the strongest possible interest in protecting the most fundamental of our human rights—the right to life. Iowans are eager to affirm that life is a human right, which is why the legislature passed the fetal heartbeat law five years ago. Iowans will surely be disappointed by today’s result, and rightly so. But even the three justices who voted against Iowa’s fetal heartbeat law agreed that the same law, passed again today, might finally be allowed to take effect. It is time for the Iowa Legislature to act—once again—to protect life. The legislature should redouble its life-saving efforts to enshrine into law further protections for unborn children. Iowa women deserve the dignity and respect that comes from receiving life-affirming health care—not the abortion industry’s false choice between doing what’s best for the mother and protecting the life of her child.”

• Pronunciation guide: Schandevel (SHAN’-deh-vell)

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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