(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says an appeal will be filed as soon as possible to challenge a judge’s injunction that has blocked enforcement of a ban on most abortions in Iowa. “It’s just a matter of time, but we’re working with the AG’s office on the details,” Reynolds told reporters this afternoon, “so hopefully that will be filed yet this week.” Reynolds signed a bill into law last Friday that immediately banned most abortions at or near the sixth week of a pregnancy, when cardiac activity is first detected.

A district court judge issued a temporary injunction to block enforcement as a lawsuit challenging the policy makes its way through the court system. “For three days we were saving babies and then the temporary injunction was filed,” Reynolds says. “I think the right to life is the most important right we have and without it we have nothing.” The bill that passed the legislature a week ago is nearly identical to a 2018 law that was ruled unconstitutional by the Iowa Supreme Court.

Five years later, Reynolds has appointed five of the seven justices on the state’s highest court. That court ruled in June of last year that the Iowa constitution does not guarantee a right to an abortion, a week before the U-S Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. Reynolds says last month, the Iowa Supreme Court got it wrong when it failed on a tie vote to let the 2018 Fetal Heartbeat Act go into effect and that’s why G-O-P lawmakers approved a nearly identical bill last week in a special legislative session.

“And I think the bill we passed is constitutional,” Reynolds said, “especially with the changes that we’ve seen.” House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says Reynolds and Republican lawmakers have stopped listening to the strong majority of Iowans who do not support their abortion ban.