Comment Indiana lawmakers passed a near-total abortion ban on Friday, making the state the first in the nation to pass sweeping limits on access to the procedure after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. The Republican-dominated state Senate approved the legislation on a 28-19 vote, dividing GOP lawmakers over how far the ban should go. Before Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed the bill into law on Friday, some GOP members had expressed support for allowing abortion in cases of rape and incest, while others opposed the bill because of those exceptions. The measure, which will take effect on September 15, allows abortion only in cases of rape, incest, a fatal fetal abnormality or when the procedure is necessary to prevent serious health risks 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,” said Jacob, a staunch opponent of abortion who advocated removing exceptions, including rape. “Trying to end all abortion 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 are not murderers,” she said. Pack told the chamber 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 power over our bodies.” “I think we’ve landed in a great place and good policy for the state of Indiana,” said McNamara, who supported the House bill. He told reporters that the ban “makes Indiana one of the most animal-friendly states in the nation.” Indiana passed a near-total abortion ban, the first state to do so since Roe Bohacek, who voted against the bill, was unable to finish his testimony as he spoke about his daughter, who has Down syndrome, and his concerns about protecting disabled rape victims. “If she loses her favorite stuffed animal, she is inconsolable,” he said. “Imagine forcing her to carry a child to term,” he said before choking up and walking away. Pryor cited the recent case of a 10-year-old rape victim who had to travel to Indiana for the procedure because abortions are now prohibited in Ohio after six weeks. “I just don’t understand why we would force a baby, really at 10, to have a baby,” Pryor said. “By closing down abortion clinics and limiting abortions to only the most excruciating cases, we are taking huge steps toward 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 directed towards pregnancy services and reducing the financial burden of adoption”. “Eight of us in this room have ever had the chance to get pregnant, yet we’re going to tell millions of Hoosier women what they can do with their bodies,” she said. Breaux described the legislation as a violation of democracy, “Women should have the right to make these decisions in consultation with their doctors, not their state legislators,” she wrote in a tweet. Vermilion condemned his fellow Republicans for describing women who have abortions as murderers. “I think the Lord’s promise is for grace and goodness,” he said, according to the Associated Press. “He wouldn’t jump to condemn these women.” “After Roe was overturned, I made it clear that I would be willing to support legislation that made progress in protecting 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 unimaginable circumstances that a woman or an unborn child might face.” “I am personally very proud of every Hoosier who came forward to courageously share their views in a conversation that is unlikely to stop anytime soon,” Holcomb added. Amy Cheng and Kim Bellware contributed to this report.
