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Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday signed a bill that would prohibit abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. It is one of the most restrictive laws of its kind in the United States and one that Republicans hope will pave the way for a showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court. The “heartbeat” bill, which would ban abortions as early as six weeks — around the time women generally feel early signs of pregnancy and before many realize they are pregnant — was passed Tuesday by the Iowa House, 51-46. The state Senate passed the bill 29-17 early Wednesday, sending it to Reynolds (R), who has said abortion is “equivalent to murder.” (Phillips, 5/4)

The new law is almost certain to prompt court challenges. Abortion opponents emboldened by the prospect of President Donald Trump further shaping the ideological direction of the Supreme Court are wagering the Iowa ban or similar measures could provide a test case for overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Reynolds, who is running for reelection and has referred to abortion in the past as murder, signed the law just days after it was approved by Iowa’s GOP-dominated state legislature. Iowa already banned most abortions after 20 weeks. Eighteen states ban abortion at that point, but efforts to set earlier restrictions haven’t survived legal challenges. (Pradhan, 5/4)