An Indiana law prohibiting abortions at all stages of pregnancy except in limited circumstances has taken effect.
The legislation, which was the first restrictive abortion law to pass in June after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, provides exemptions in cases of rape or incest, to save the mother’s life or prevent serious health risk, and with fetal anomalies up to 20 weeks post-fertilization.
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Under the law, any abortions performed under the few exemptions must be in licensed hospitals or a surgical center owned by a licensed hospital, as abortion clinics cannot be state-licensed facilities.
“These actions followed long days of hearings filled with sobering and personal testimony from citizens and elected representatives on this emotional and complex topic,” Gov. Eric Holcomb (R-IN) said in a statement after the legislation passed. “Ultimately, those voices shaped and informed the final contents of the legislation and its carefully negotiated exceptions to address some of the unthinkable circumstances a woman or unborn child might face.”
Healthcare providers who violate the law could be subject to up to six years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
Several abortion providers, including the regional Planned Parenthood affiliate and All-Options, a nonprofit organization that provides abortions, have filed a lawsuit challenging the law, arguing that it violates the state constitution’s right to privacy with its “vague language.”
“This ban was created with the intention of hurting patients and attacking providers. The cruelty is the point,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement.”While today is devastating, it is not the end. We will have the final word. We will continue fighting this ban until every single person in Indiana can get the abortion care that they need and deserve.”
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The state was previously at the center of a heated abortion debate after a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio traveled to Indiana to receive an abortion, days after Ohio’s “fetal heartbeat” law took effect in June. The Indianapolis doctor who performed the abortion, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, sued Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita for defamation last month after he questioned whether the abortion was properly reported to state officials.
