A ban on abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy took effect in Iowa on Monday, a month after the state's top court upheld the ban in a 4-3 decision. Abortion had previously been legal in the state up to around 22 weeks, the Guardian reports. The "fetal heartbeat" law, passed by the Republican-dominated state legislature last year, allows exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or medical emergencies. Planned Parenthood estimates it will reduce the number of abortions performed in the state by up to 97%.
- A victory for GOP lawmakers. Republican lawmakers had been seeking to enact in such a law for years, the AP reports. With Iowa's, four states now have bans on abortions after six weeks. Another 14 states have brought in near-total abortion bans since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.