The Iowa Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the state’s six-week abortion ban could be enforced, a decision that sharply limits access to the procedure and fulfills a longstanding aim of the state’s Republican leaders. The 4-to-3 ruling vastly limited the time frame for legal abortions in Iowa — the previous standard was 22 weeks — and meant that many women may travel to nearby states like Illinois or Minnesota to undergo the procedure. For Iowa Republicans, the decision marked the realization of a long-held policy goal and vindication after previous setbacks in the courts. “There is no right more sacred than life, and nothing more worthy of our strongest defense than the innocent unborn,” Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, said in a statement, adding that “I’m glad that the Iowa Supreme Court has upheld the will of the people of Iowa.”State Senator Pam Jochum, her chamber’s Democratic leader, called it “a tragic day in Iowa history.”

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Persons: Kim Reynolds, Pam Jochum, ” Organizations: Iowa Supreme, Republican, Iowa Republicans, Republicans, Democratic Locations: Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, ”