Iowa Judicial Building.
The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed a district court decision, so a state law can go into effect that bars Planned Parenthood from getting state grants for sex education programs.
The law was passed in 2019 by the Republican-led legislature, but Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Iowa filed a lawsuit and it’s been on hold as the case made its way through the courts.
The law prohibits organizations that provide abortion from getting grants from two state programs aimed at preventing teen pregnancy.
Governor Kim Reynolds, who signed the bill into law, said she is “proud to be a pro-life governor” and the ruling is a strong statement “in support of the idea that taxpayer dollars should not fund abortion.”
The president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of North Central States says for more than a decade Planned Parenthood has provided “comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education” for young Iowans and the ruling is “a major setback for public health.”
Here’s the ruling: Planned Parenthood decision PDF