Indiana became the first state in a post-Roe world to ban nearly all abortions, after Governor Eric Holcomb signed Senate Bill 1 (SB 1). He also signed a companion measure, SB 2, which helps families, provides funds for adoption, and offers support for mothers and infants.
SB 1 makes performing an abortion illegal in the state, except in the case of rape or incest, when a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal fetal anomaly, or to save the life of the mother. The new law also terminates the licensure of abortion clinics.
The legislation passed the Senate in a special session by a vote of 28 to 19, just hours after the House advanced an amended version of the bill by a vote of 62 to 38. The law takes effect September 15.
In a press release, the governor said:
Following the overturning of Roe, I stated clearly that I would be willing to support legislation that made progress in protecting life. In my view, SEA 1 [Senate Enrolled Act 1] accomplishes this goal following its passage in both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly with a solid majority of support.
Pro-life leaders were quick to applaud the bill’s signing.
Focus on the Family President Jim Daly told the Daily Citizen:
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is the most important legal ruling of our lifetime, and it allowed Indiana to pass this abortion ban and protect most preborn infants in the state. We’re praying and working so that more states will follow suit.
Indiana Right to Life released a statement applauding the passage of the legislation:
Indiana Right to Life believes substantive changes to SB1 in the House provide renewed hope that over 95% of Indiana’s 8,414 abortions will end if it becomes law. House amendments will make abortion clinics a thing of the past in Indiana, requiring that abortions for limited circumstances be done in hospitals, or hospital-owned surgical centers. The House also tightened language for the life of the mother exception, limited abortions to ten weeks in circumstances of rape or incest, and limited abortions for lethal fetal anomalies to 20 weeks.
Even so, the group was “disappointed that an amendment to limit abortions to only the life of the mother fell short in a roll call vote.”
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America thanked the legislature and governor for “for acting to protect the lives of unborn children and their mothers from the violence of abortion in Indiana.”
Sue Liebel, the group’s director of state affairs said:
After the Dobbs decision sent this issue back to the people in June, the process has worked the way it is supposed to. Elected officials made critical decisions after hearing from thousands of Hoosiers. The Indiana experience is illustrative for other states because it envisions new protections for life in Indiana based on the will of the people, highlighting that our work will continue in the future.
The legislature also passed a companion bill, SB 2, which passed the House by a vote of 93 to 6 and the Senate with 37 for and 9 against. The legislation used the state’s $1 billion surplus for inflation relief, giving taxpayers a $200 refund.
According to the IndyStar, “This proposal also includes a tax exemption for an adopted child, cuts the state’s tax on children’s diapers, caps the gas tax and increases the adoption tax credit.”
The measure also provides $45 million to create the Hoosier Families First Fund, in order to support the health of pregnant women, postpartum mothers, and infants; support pregnancy planning; support the needs of low-income families with children less than four years old; to support foster and adoptive families; and more.
Related articles and resources:
Daily Citizen:
After ‘Dobbs,’ Pregnancy Resource Centers See Uptick in Women Seeking Help
Arkansas Allocates $1 Million for Pregnancy Resource Centers
Georgia Grants $3,000 Tax Exemption for Preborn Babies
Life Wins at the U.S. Supreme Court: Reactions from the Pro-Life Community on This Historic Day
Texas to Spend $100 Million to Support Alternatives to Abortion
Focus on the Family:
Adoption articles and resources
Option Ultrasound Program
Pro-Life articles and resources
Wait No More – Foster Care and Adoption Program
Photo from Shutterstock.
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