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Indiana lawmakers approved a near-total abortion ban on Friday, making the state the first state in the nation to pass broad limits on access to the procedure since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down. Roe v. Wade.
The Republican-dominated state Senate approved the legislation in a 28-19 vote that had divided Republican lawmakers over how far the ban should go. Before Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed the bill Friday, some GOP members had expressed support for allowing abortion in cases of rape and incest, while others opposed the bill because of ‘these exceptions.
The measure, which will enter into force on September 15, allows abortion only in cases of rape, incest, lethal fetal abnormality or when the procedure is necessary to prevent serious risks to health or death. Here’s what some state officials had to say about the ban:
“The body inside mom’s body is not her body. Let me repeat that: the body inside mom’s body is not her body. Not her body, not her choice,” Jacob said, a staunch abortion opponent who supported eliminating exceptions, including rape.
“Trying to end all abortions is not forced birth, but rather trying to end the killing of children,” she said on the floor.
“Sir, I am not a murderer. And my sisters aren’t killers either,” she said.
Pack told the chamber that she had an abortion in 1990 while serving in the military, according to the Indianapolis Star. “We are pro-choice. This is who we are,” he added. “We believe we have mastery over our own bodies.”
“I think we’ve landed in a great place with good policy for the state of Indiana,” said McNamara, who sponsored the House bill. He told reporters that the ban “makes Indiana one of the most pro-life states in the nation.”
Indiana passes near-total abortion ban, first state to do so after Roe
Bohacek, who voted against the bill, was unable to finish her testimony as she spoke about her daughter, who has Down syndrome, and her concerns about protecting disabled rape victims. “If he loses his favorite stuffed animal, it’s inconsolable,” she said. “Imagine making her carry a child to term,” he said before choking up and walking away.
Pryor referenced the recent case of a 10-year-old rape victim who had to travel to Indiana for the procedure because abortions are prohibited in Ohio after six weeks. “I don’t understand why we would force a baby, really at 10 years old, to have a baby,” Pryor said.
“By closing abortion clinics and limiting abortions to only the most heartbreaking cases, we are making massive strides for the pro-life movement,” said Leising, who called Friday “a monumental day,” according to WRTV in Indianapolis. He said the ban should be “combined with increased funding aimed at pregnancy services and easing the financial burden of adoption”.
“Eight of us in this chamber have had the chance to get pregnant at some point, but we’re about to tell millions of Hoosier women what they can do with their bodies,” she said.
Breaux described the legislation as an infringement on democracy: “Women should have the right to make these decisions in consultation with their doctors, not state legislators,” he wrote in a tweet.
Vermilion condemned his fellow Republicans for describing women who have abortions as murderers. “I believe the Lord’s promise is one of grace and goodness,” he said, according to the Associated Press. “I wouldn’t jump to condemn these women.”
“After Roe was overturned, I stated clearly that I would be willing to support legislation that advanced the protection of life,” he said in a statement. After days of hearings and testimony, he said the legislation “and its carefully negotiated exceptions” addressed “some of the unthinkable circumstances a woman or an unborn child could face.”
“I am personally very proud of every Hoosier who came forward to bravely share their views in a debate that is unlikely to end soon,” Holcomb added.
Amy Cheng and Kim Bellware contributed to this report.