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As the governor prepares to sign a new, fast-tracked abortion ban into law, ACLU of Iowa prepares its legal challenge

The ACLU of Iowa has filed a lawsuit in Polk County District Court challenging the new ban on almost all abortions in the state, passed by Republican lawmakers during their special session on Tuesday. The ACLU is representing Planned Parenthood of the Heartland (PPH), the Emma Goldman Clinic and PPH Medical Director Dr. Sarah Trexler, […]

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Photos: Iowans protest ‘tyrannical power grab’ as new abortion ban speeds through legislature

From Tuesday morning well into the afternoon, the Iowa State Capitol brimmed with Bans Off Our Bodies protesters and counter protesters, responding to a bill from Governor Kim Reynolds intending to ban abortions after just six weeks of conception. Currently, abortion is legal up to 20 weeks after conception in Iowa. Mazie Stilwell, the director […]

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Gov. Reynolds calls a special session of the Iowa legislature to pass a new abortion ban

On Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a proclamation calling the Iowa Legislature into a special session that starts at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday for “the sole and single purpose” of passing what would be one of the country’s strictest bans on abortion. “I believe the pro-life movement is the most important human rights cause […]

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Under Bird, the Iowa AG office has stopped covering emergency contraception for sexual assault survivors

April is Sexual Assault and Awareness Month and Iowa’s new attorney general, Brenna Bird, has been advertising her support for survivors of sexual assault in social media posts. “Our office is committed to working with survivors of sexual assault to ensure they receive the support they need,” according to posts on Tuesday on AG Bird’s […]

Posted inStatewide

In Condition of the State speech, Gov. Reynolds boldly pushes for changes unpopular with most Iowans

During her Condition of the State Speech on Tuesday night, Gov. Kim Reynolds called on the newly expanded Republican majorities in both houses of the Iowa Legislature to ignore critics, including the media and “so-called experts,” and push to eliminate state regulations and agencies she considers unnecessary, increase protection for doctors sued for malpractice and […]

Posted inEastern Iowa

Man who drove his truck into abortion rights protesters in Cedar Rapids wants assault charge dismissed and trial moved out of Linn County

The man who drove his pickup truck into protesters crossing a street in Cedar Rapids in June pleaded not guilty to both crimes with which he has been charged. Several weeks after the incident, David Huston of Swisher was charged with Assault While Displaying a Dangerous Weapon and Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury […]

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‘Healing is fundamentally a political act’: Future doctors grapple with the encroachment of anti-abortion laws on Iowa health care

Medical students in Iowa watched with growing concern as the Iowa Supreme Court decided in June to no longer recognize the right to abortion as a fundamental right. A week later the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Both of the state’s medical schools, the University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medical and Des […]

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Student group demands University of Iowa ensure access to abortion, contraception, gender-affirming care and parental leave

On Thursday, graduate students and undergrads at the University of Iowa joined more than 60 universities and high schools across 29 states for The Day of Student Action for Reproductive Justice, a student-led protest urging governments and educational institutions to ensure access to abortion, contraception, sex education and gender-affirming healthcare. The Campaign to Organize Graduate […]

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A legal guide to self-managed abortion in Iowa, even if a six-week ban is passed

Note: The term “woman” and she/her pronouns are occasionally used in this article to refer to a hypothetical pregnant person seeking abortion. In reality, this person could be a woman, child, nonbinary person or transgender man. The recent Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health overturning Roe v. Wade left the right to […]

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