Iowa Republicans will pursue a 6-week abortion ban during a special session that starts Tuesday

By HANNAH FINGERHUT
Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Republican-controlled Legislature in Iowa will aim to enact a ban on abortion after roughly six weeks of pregnancy during a rare special session that starts Tuesday. That’s according to a draft of the bill released Friday. The measure is similar to a 2018 law that a deadlocked state Supreme Court declined to reinstate last month, prompting Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds to call for the extraordinary session. Abortion is currently legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. The proposed bill, like the 2018 law, would prohibit abortion once cardiac activity can be detected, which is usually around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant.