Iowa high court won't rehear 24-hour abortion waiting period case

Good morning.

We got one more development in Iowa's legal battle over abortion restrictions yesterday.

The Iowa Supreme Court denied Gov. Kim Reynolds' request to rehear a case involving a 24-hour abortion waiting period that the court originally decided last month.

Reynolds, a Republican, said the court should rehear the case after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. She argued the Iowa court should allow abortion restrictions to be challenged under the more permissive "rational basis" legal test, rather than the more stringent "undue burden" test.

Instead, she'll have to make that argument at the district court level. The waiting period is likely to take effect in the coming days as the case goes back to the district court for further proceedings.

Meanwhile, abortion providers like Planned Parenthood are already requiring their patients to observe a 24-hour waiting period in anticipation of the law taking effect.

No word yet on Reynolds' other legal strategy to restrict abortion in Iowa — reviving the state's so-called fetal heartbeat law. She has yet to file a formal motion asking a court to lift the injunction that blocked the law from taking effect.

This is Stephen, easing back into the week after the long holiday weekend. Have questions about what happens next with Iowa's abortion laws? Email me at sgrubermil@registermedia.com.

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa high court won't rehear 24-hour abortion waiting period case