Des Moines, IOWA – At the Iowa Supreme Court on Wednesday, Feb. 23, attorneys – including The FAMiLY Leader’s Chuck Hurley – represented legal briefs and presented oral arguments, calling for the Court to overturn one of the most radical abortion rulings in the nation, 2018’s Planned Parenthood v. Reynolds.
“It was wrong on the day it was decided; it should have been corrected on the day after it was decided;” argued Iowa Assistant Attorney General Sam Langholz, “and the State would ask you to correct the 2018 decision now.”
In that 2018 decision, Iowa’s Supreme Court voted 5-2 to declare abortion a “fundamental right” and made it nearly impossible for the Iowa Legislature to restrict the practice in any way.
The decision has since been used as precedent to strike down both Iowa’s Heartbeat Law, which would have protected unborn children from abortion after their heartbeats can be detected, and a 24-hour waiting period requirement for women seeking abortions.
Critics of the 2018 ruling are concerned it could be further used to expand abortion through all nine months of pregnancy in Iowa and compel Iowa taxpayers to fund abortion, regardless of the U.S. Supreme Court’s current reconsideration of 1973’s Roe v. Wade.
Langholz was joined in arguing against the 2018 ruling by Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Chris Schandevel and TFL’s Chuck Hurley.
Following oral arguments, the justices are expected to retire to chambers and make an initial vote on the case. The final ruling is not expected until sometime this summer.
You can also watch the oral arguments in full below: