SW News: On Friday, June 17, the Iowa Supreme Court in USA decided that the state constitution does not recognize the right to abortion as a fundamental right. The ruling came as a result of the resolution of a lawsuit filed by abortion providers against a 2020 law which calls for a 24-hour waiting period after the initial appointment before a woman can get an abortion.

As a result of the court’s decision, anybody who seeks an abortion needs to wait for a 24-hour period, according to the report by AP News. This means that they have to return to the clinic for a second time. The opponents had argued that this obstacle makes abortion out of reach for some people.

Friday’s ruling reverses a previous decision made by the Iowa Supreme Court four years ago, specifically a 2018 ruling which said that the fundamental right to an abortion will be protected by the Iowa Constitution. The court came to the conclusion that it was wrong to have declared abortion as a fundamental privacy right guaranteed by the state’s constitution and federal law. The decision will pave the way for lawmakers to severely limit or ban abortion in the state, reported AP News.

Governor Kim Reynolds, who strongly opposes abortion rights, said that the decision of the Iowa Supreme Court is a “significant victory in our fight to protect the unborn.”

She said in a statement, "Every life is sacred and should be protected, and as long as I’m governor that is exactly what I will do."

The current law in the state prohibits most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The Iowa Supreme Court’s decision came in the backdrop of the nation waiting to see whether the US Supreme Court will overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion in the United States in 1973. If overturned, it would be a watershed moment in US judicial history which would allow Iowa lawmakers to outlaw abortion without having to complete any tedious or prolonged process of making amendments to the state constitution.