Indiana Gov. Signs First Post-Roe Abortion Ban

Indiana Gov Eric Holcomb (R)

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill on August 5 banning most abortions from the moment of fertilization. With this legislation, Indiana became the first state to pass an abortion ban after the repeal of Roe v. Wade.

Conservative lawmakers spent a significant amount of time debating exceptions to the law. The exceptions that made their way into final law include rape, incest, to protect the life of the mother, and if the preborn child is diagnosed with a terminal anomaly. The law also states that any abortions must take place in hospitals or surgical centers; not abortion clinics.

The pro-life Thomas More Society warned that the legislation might encourage doctors to pressure families into aborting children with difficult diagnoses rather than attempt potential lifesaving treatments.

Indiana Right to Life pushed for a version of the bill that only offered exceptions if the mother's life is in danger. After it was passed in its final form, they released the following statement:

“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.

While we are disappointed that an amendment to limit abortions to only the life of the mother fell short in a roll call vote, we applaud those House members supporting the amendment for doing all they could to limit SB1’s exceptions. We will continue to work to build consensus going forward that all lives are to be valued, regardless of the means of one’s conception.

While we cannot fully endorse the amended SB1 due to it rape, incest, and lethal fetal anomaly exceptions, we acknowledge the path forward is either the potential to end the vast majority of abortions in Indiana, beginning with the closure of Indiana abortion clinics in mid-September, or allowing all abortions to continue under current law, as women from Ohio, Kentucky, and other states travel to Indiana for abortions. We urge every legislator to prayerfully consider how their vote will impact the path Indiana now chooses."

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