Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are suing Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) for suspending surgical abortions because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Supporters of the suspension say it is intended to preserve personal protective equipment like masks and gloves for health workers on the front lines of the pandemic. But abortion rights groups argue that the pandemic is being used as a guise to block abortion access.
“A global pandemic is not an excuse to attack essential, time-sensitive medical procedures like abortion,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Under a proclamation issued by Reynolds last week, all nonessential medical procedures are suspended until April 16. Several governors have issued similar orders, but divisions have emerged between red and blue states over whether abortion is an essential procedure.