Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) is not stopping her anti-abortion fight anytime soon.
“We know that our work is not done, that we must continue to work together to change the hearts and minds,” she said on Saturday during an annual event organized by a Christian group, the Faith and Freedom Coalition, The Des Moines Register reported.
Reynolds signed a bill into law this month that would effectively ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The legislation is the strictest abortion ban in the country, quickly leading to legal battles with Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union.
“I’ll tell you what, we’re not slowing down, we’re not going to stop. It’s a fight worth fighting,” she said to about 300 people in attendance.
The law, also known as the fetal heartbeat bill, requires women seeking an abortion to get an ultrasound before undergoing the procedure. If a fetal heartbeat is detected ― which typically can be heard about six weeks into a pregnancy ― the woman may no longer have an abortion. The law includes exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.
“We are No. 1 in the country when it comes to protecting life,” Reynolds continued. “I believe all innocent life is precious and sacred, and as governor, I pledge to you to do everything in my power to protect life.”
In a statement after the bill passed in the Iowa Senate, Dawn Laguens, the executive vice president of Planned Parenthood, called it an “extreme and draconian policy that takes aim at a woman’s right to control her own body, life, and future.”
“This bill is one more example of state politicians, emboldened by the Trump-Pence administration, carrying out policy after policy that strip away people’s freedoms and access to care,” she continued. “The right to control your body includes the right to access safe, legal abortion. Your body is your own, if it is not, we cannot be truly free or equal.”
