Fewer people traveling to Iowa for abortions
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One in 10 abortion patients in Iowa last year traveled here from out of state, new data estimates from the Guttmacher Institute show.
Zoom out: That's down from 2020, two years before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
By the numbers: The majority of out-of-state patients in 2023 traveled to Iowa from Nebraska — around 270 people.
- Meanwhile, 390 people traveled from Iowa to Minnesota to get the procedure.
Between the lines: While abortion remains legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy, it became more restrictive in 2022, due to a 24-hour waiting period law.
The big picture: The Iowa Supreme Court will likely rule on Friday if Iowa's "fetal heartbeat" law can take effect — a long-awaited decision that will decide if most abortions are banned at nearly six weeks in the state.
- Today marks the second anniversary of the Dobbs decision, which has changed the political landscape surrounding abortions in Iowa.
Related: More than 171,000 people traveled out-of-state for abortions across the U.S. last year