Erin Murphy

Thirteen Republican presidential candidates addressed more than 1,200 people at a state party fundraiser in Iowa on Friday.

More than 1,200 attended a state party fundraiser Friday night, where 13 GOP White House hopefuls spoke.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird in April paused the AG office’s practice of using a state victims compensation fund to pay for rape victims’ abortions, pausing payments to dozens of rape survivors

Reynolds and Bird say the Iowa Supreme Court should first determine which legal standard applies to abortion restrictions, then determine the new law, which is blocked by a temporary injunction, is constitutional.

Reynolds and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird on Friday said the state has appealed a lower court’s decision to temporarily block enforcement of the so-called fetal heartbeat law.

Partially boosted by an increase in federal funding, nearly $1.5 billion was invested in Iowa road and bridge construction and repair projects in the 2023 state budget year, according to the Iowa DOT.

Gov. Kim Reynolds also said the state’s executive branch is now operating under its newly restructured and streamlined format, as planned in a new state law approved by Republicans earlier this year.

Gov. Kim Reynolds said she believes the Iowa Supreme Court will uphold new abortion restrictions that were passed into law last week by Iowa Republicans and blocked Monday by a state judge.

Republicans point to recent election successes as proof that they are following the will of Iowa voters. But Democrats say this new law, which bans abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected, and the next election will be different.

Front-runner and former President Donald Trump was not there, but six other candidates spoke at The Family Leader’s event

Six Republican presidential candidates spoke at Friday event hosted by the Christian conservative group

While Reynolds signed the bill at the Christian conservative The Family Leader’s annual conference, a Polk County District Court Judge listened to a request to halt enforcement of the new abortion restrictions until its constitutionality can be considered by the courts.

A hearing will be held in district court today, mere moments before Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is scheduled to sign the abortion restrictions into law

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the Emma Goldman Clinic and the ACLU of Iowa announced Wednesday that they challenged the pending new law in Iowa district court.

Abortion rights advocates held a rally in the rotunda and far outnumbered abortion restriction advocates during a long and loud day at the Iowa Capitol.