July 28, 2023

Proposed Bill Would Create Federal Tax Credits for Unborn Children

Rep Ashley Hinson (R-IA)
On July 24, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and Sen Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the "Providing for Life Act" to extend federal tax credits to cover unborn children.

The proposal would increase the child tax credit from $2,000 to $3,500 for children under the age of 18. If the child is under the age of six, the credit would be $4,500 instead. In the case of unborn children, the tax credit will apply retroactively after the child is born.

“The Providing for Life Act charts the policy course for a culture of life in America,” Hinson said in a press release. “By expanding the Child Tax Credit to include the unborn and provide additional relief to working families, empowering women to care for their babies and families regardless of socioeconomic status or zip code, and expanding access to community resources, we can protect the most vulnerable, make a meaningful difference for those in need, and strengthen all families.

In his own statement for the press release, Rubio said, “Supporting pregnant mothers and their unborn children is essential, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because America’s continued strength depends on the next generation. This comprehensive legislation will provide real assistance for American parents and children in need. We need policies like these to show America that conservatives are pro-life across the board.”

The bill would take several other actions to empower women and families, including:
  • expanding parental leave
  • mandating that SNAP recipients cooperate with child support
  • incentivizing states to establish rules requiring fathers to cover half of pregnancy costs
  • establishing a Maternal Mental Health Hotline through a new website, "life.gov"

July 27, 2023

Sidewalk Counselor Petitions Buffer Zone Precedent to Supreme Court

Debra Vitagliano
On July 21, pro-life sidewalk counselor Debra Vitagliano petitioned the Supreme Court to review Hill v. Colorado, the US Supreme Court case that legalized buffer zone laws.

Vitagliano was prevented from offering assistance to abortion-minded women outside abortion businesses in Westchester County, New York due to the county's buffer zone law. The law prohibits sidewalk counselors from interacting with others within 100 ft of an abortion business without explicit consent.

She attempted to challenge the law in court, but the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Westchester County's law falls within the legal boundaries established by the Supreme Court's 2000 ruling in Hill v. Colorado. The court ruled that Vitagliano had standing to ask the Supreme Court to review Hill v. Colorado, so she did.

Becket, the law firm representing Vitagliano, expressed optimism that the Supreme Court will take up the case:
"Westchester County’s law is modeled after and materially identical to the Colorado law that the Supreme Court upheld in Hill. But legal scholars and judges have long criticized Hill, and last year five Justices of the Supreme Court stated that Hill was a major departure from our nation’s protections of free speech. Debra’s case presents an ideal opportunity for the Supreme Court to right Hill’s wrong and protect all those who want to serve abortion-vulnerable women."

The Supreme Court is expected to decide whether to take the case this fall.

Click here to read more.

July 26, 2023

Another Woman Hospitalized by Hope Clinic in Granite City

On June 16, an employee at the Hope Clinic for Women (HCW) abortion business in Granite City, Illinois called 911. She requested emergency transport for a 32-year-old woman who suffered from perforation during a D&C procedure.

A recording of the 911 call was obtained by Operation Rescue. Operation Rescue uses eyewitness reports and freedom of information requests to document medical emergencies caused by abortion clinics across America.


Based on the recording, it was unclear whether the uterus or cervix was perforated. The employee described the injury as a "suspected false passage" and requested emergency transport to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. There is a hospital directly across the street from HCW, but the business frequently requests transport to Barnes. According to Operation Rescue, Barnes is "highly specialized in trauma care," which might make it more equipped to handle life-threatening injuries caused by HCW.

Perforation can lead to life-threatening hemorrhage or infection.

“This dangerous facility has been on our radar for a long time,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “But ever since  George Tiller’s sycophant, Julie Burkhart, purchased it last March, the recklessness has increased and life-threatening emergency transports have doubled. 

“Sadly, we have already learned about another emergency transport since this frightening botch and have initiated our investigative procedure. Operation Rescue has also filed a formal complaint with the Illinois Department of Public Health Office of Health Care Regulation for the steadily increasing, frightening medical emergencies at this hopeless facility – including a uterine perforation of a 13-year-old girl.

“We are working to close this dangerous facility before any more women are gravely injured – or, even worse, killed.”

July 25, 2023

White House Argues Abortion is a "Foundational sacred obligation" of DOD

White House National Security Council Spokesperson
John Kirby
At a White House press conference last week, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby answered a question about why the "“new DOD (Department of Defense) policy on abortion [is] critical to military readiness.” In response, he told reporters the DOD has a "foundational sacred obligation" to offer abortions to service members.

“Our policies… whether it’s about female service members — one in five — or female family members being able to count on the kinds of health care and reproductive care specifically that they need to serve, that is a foundational sacred obligation of military leaders,” Kirby said.

Kirby argued that government owes abortion services to active military members and their families, and he argued that women and their spouses would leave the military if the government did not provide it.
"What happens if you get assigned to a state—like Alabama—which has a pretty restrictive abortion law in place... What do you do? Do you say no and get out? Some people may decide to do that. What does that mean? That means we lose talent... It can have an extremely significant impact on our recruiting and our retention. Not to mention, it's just the right darn thing to do for people that raise their hand and agree to serve in the military."
Kirby's arguments assume that military women need the government to offer abortion so they can continue to serve. Military culture often pushes women to have abortions because childbirth and parenting would interrupt their service more than abortion. By rejecting motherhood, a woman can be a "good soldier" and continue to do her duty.

Valuing the mother's work efficiency over the humanity of her child is not a "sacred obligation." It is horrific. The military should instead encourage women to utilize the life-affirming already offered, and it should crack down on misogynistic pro-abortion culture.

The military currently provides 12 weeks of paid, non-chargeable parental leave to service members who have a child through birth, adoption, or a long-term foster care placement of at least 24 months. This is in addition to authorized convalescent leave for service members who give birth.

July 24, 2023

Maine Gov Signs Law Allowing Unlimited Abortion

Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D)
On July 19, Maine Gov Janet Mills (D) signed legislation legalizing abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy.

Maine's Senate voted 20-11 in favor of the bill. The House voted 73-69.

“LD 1619 creates a subjective standard empowering the abortionist to justify any abortion after viability,” according to Maine Right to Life. “Governor Mills’ bill removes current language that allows abortion for a woman’s life or health and replaces it with language that would allow abortions in the second and third trimesters because of an abortionist’s opinion.”

It is a common theme in pro-abortion legislation to provide abortionists with a broad undefined exception for the "health" of the mother. These laws often allow abortionists to commit elective abortions if they deem it to be in the interest of the mother's mental health. Maine's law is similar in effect.

Abortion intentionally ends the life of an innocent unborn child. It does not heal anyone, and it should not be considered health care. Broad laws like these only serve to strip human rights from the unborn and enable their deaths.

Maine's new law will come into effect 90 days after signature.

July 21, 2023

Texas County Enacts Ordinance Outlawing Road Use for Abortion Trafficking

On July 14, Mitchell County in Texas enacted an ordinance outlawing abortion in the county. Further, the ordinance prohibits third parties from using roads within the county to transport women for the purpose of obtaining an abortion.

Aiding and abetting abortions by transporting a woman on public roads in the county is considered abortion trafficking. Like Texas's heartbeat act, the law can be enforced through civil actions brought by individuals, not the Mitchell County government. Civil action cannot be targeted at the mother, only those who assist in abortion.

After the county Commission voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance, Commissioner Jermy Strain said, “I am proud that Mitchell County is the first county to declare itself a sanctuary for the unborn. This is a huge victory for the pro-life movement in Texas. Thank you to all of the grassroots advocates who worked tirelessly to make this a reality, and for the commissioners who showed political courage to vote this into law.”

Mitchell County, Texas is the third county in the nation to adopt a "sanctuary county" ordinance.

July 20, 2023

Oregon Gov Signs Bill Ending Parental Consent for Abortions

On July 13, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed legislation ending the state's parental consent law for abortions.

The legislation also prohibits Oregon law enforcement from assisting other states in criminal investigations of pro-life laws, and it reiterates that health insurance (including Medicaid) must provide coverage for abortions.

The repealed law required parents or guardians to give consent before their minor children have abortions. After the repeal passed in the Oregon House, Senate Republicans staged a six-week walkout leading to a few minor concessions. Changes to the bill before passage removed language expanding abortion in rural areas and college campuses.

Another compromise added language stating parental notification can only be bypassed if a second medical provider agrees that it is in the minor's best interest. This is not expected to have much impact.

In addition to protecting innocent unborn lives, parental consent and parental notification laws are powerful tools to protect children from sex trafficking and rape. Without these laws, predators and sex traffickers can easily use abortion to hide their conduct from parents and law enforcement.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker similarly signed the repeal of Illinois's Parental Notice of Abortion Act in December of 2021. The repeal went into effect on June 1, 2022.

Click here to read more.

July 19, 2023

House Passes Passes Amendments to Defund Abortions in Department of Defense

Rep Ronny Jackson (R-TX)
On July 13, pro-life legislators in the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with the Jackson Amendment; preventing the Department of Defense (DOD) from using funds to pay the abortion travel expenses of military members and dependents.

After Roe was repealed, the Biden administration instituted a new policy directing the DOD to use funds to pay the transportation expenses of military members and dependents who travel out of pro-life states to obtain elective abortions in pro-abortion states.

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) introduced the amendment to correct this (illegal) policy. It was passed by a vote of 221-213.

The Jackson Amendment:
  • Clarifies and explains federal law (10 U.S.C. § 1093) that prevents DOD funding from being used to perform elective abortions and prohibits DOD facilities from being used to provide abortions.
  • Repeals the October 20, 2022 memorandum.
  • Amends federal law to clarify that the DOD may not pay for the licensure of healthcare professionals in a state if the purpose is to provide abortions.
The NDAA is a spending package that must be passed every year to set the military budget for the next fiscal year. The House and Senate will each pass their own versions of the spending package. After that, Congress will reconcile the differences and submit the bill to the president for signature.

“We praise House GOP leadership for their work in preventing taxpayer funds from illegally being used to pay for or reimburse expenses related to abortion travel,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “The Biden Administration has shown repeatedly that it thinks taxpayers are a never-ending source of funds for its abortion agenda. The Jackson Amendment in the NDAA prevents the Biden Administration from circumventing established law.”

July 18, 2023

Pro-Abortion Group Raises Millions to Put Abortion Rights Amendment on 2024 Florida Ballot

"Floridians Protecting Freedom" reported to the Florida Department of State's Division of Elections that it has raised over $4.7 million since April to put an amendment on the 2024 ballot. If successful, the amendment would create a right to abortion in the Florida constitution.

The proposed language states, “no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” Since the patient's healthcare provider (the abortionist) can determine when abortion is necessary, this amendment would remove all protections for unborn children. When "health" is vaguely defined and up to the abortionist's interpretation, the abortionist can justify abortion by saying it is necessary for a mother's mental health.

Floridians Protecting Freedom has already spent over $4.5 million to fund its efforts to gather signatures. To put the amendment on the 2024 ballot, the group must submit at least 891,523 valid petition signatures to the state by Feb. 1, 2024. If it reaches the ballot, it would need to succeed by at least 60% of the vote.

Major donors in the pro-abortion effort include Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

July 17, 2023

Iowa Gov. Signs Heartbeat Bill into Law

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R)
UPDATE:

On July 17, Polk County District Judge Joseph Seidlin issued a temporary injunction blocking the enforcement of the new Heartbeat Law.

In his ruling, Seidlin wrote that the Iowa Board of Medicine should move forward with writing administrative rules to govern the law's implementation. “Should the injunction entered today ultimately be dissolved, it would only benefit all involved, patients and providers alike, to have rules in place to administer the law,” Seidler wrote.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds was quick to announce that her administration would appeal Seidlin's ruling:

“In their own words, the abortion industry stressed the need for a temporary injunction so they could continue with 200 scheduled abortions in the next two weeks. While Life was protected for a few days, now even more innocent babies will be lost.” 

“The abortion industry’s attempt to thwart the will of Iowans and the voices of their elected representatives continues today, but I will fight this all the way to the Iowa Supreme Court where we expect a decision that will finally provide justice for the unborn.”

---Original story below---

On July 14, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed legislation to protect unborn children with detectable heartbeats from the violence of abortion.

The law contains exceptions for rape, incest, and when the mother's life is in danger.

Reynolds called the Iowa General Assembly to a special session last week in response to a 3-3 decision from the Iowa Supreme Court (one justice recused herself). The court chose not to reinstate a nearly identical law passed in 2018, despite a new precedent finding Iowa's constitution does not contain a fundamental right to abortion.

Justice Thomas Waterman wrote on behalf of the justices who voted against reinstating the 2018 law, "In our view it is legislating from the bench to take a statute that was moribund when it was enacted and has been enjoined for four years and then to put it in effect." He continued that Iowa could enforce an identical law if it were passed today. That is exactly what Gov. Reynolds accomplished with the special legislative session.

In her remarks at the signing ceremony, Gov. Reynolds said,

"While half the bench expressed the opinion that the court had 'failed the parties, the public and the rule of law' by refusing to decide the case, the other three justices engaged in pure political rhetoric, comparing an unborn child to trash and declaring the fetal heartbeat law to be no law at all, only a 'hypothetical law.'

They also expressed their uncertainty that such a law would be passed today post-Roe, as if the politics of the day would change our view on life. 

They were wrong.  

This week, in a rare and historic special session, the Iowa legislature voted for a second time to reject the inhumanity of abortion and pass the fetal heartbeat bill."

Planned Parenthood and the ACLU filed a challenge to the law on July 12 after successful votes in Iowa's House and Senate. The groups asked Polk County District Judge Joseph Seidlin to issue a temporary injunction preventing Iowa from enforcing the new law. A decision on whether to issue an injunction is expected this week.

July 14, 2023

FDA Approves Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill for All Ages

On July 13, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its approval of the first over-the-counter birth control pill. The drug will be available to all ages starting in February 2024.

The FDA approved the drug Opill (manufactured by the Irish company Perrigo) to be sold without a prescription. The pill is intended to be taken at the same time each day.

Like Plan B, Opill is a progestin-based drug. The drug is intended to prevent pregnancy by preventing sperm from reaching the cervix. However, even though Biden's FDA amended Plan B's label to state otherwise, the drug can function as an abortifacient.

Dr. Donna Harrison with the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists wrote for the National Review, “If Plan B is taken five to two days before egg release is due to happen, the interference with the LH signal prevents a woman from releasing an egg, no fertilization happens, and no embryo is formed.” She continues that issues can occur if the pills are taken during a “two-day window when embryos can form but positive pregnancy tests don't occur.”

She cites studies suggesting that Plan B “has a likely embryocidal effect in stopping pregnancy,” if taken during that two-day window.

LiveAction also cited several studies suggesting that women who take progestin-only contraceptives are at increased health risks of breast cancer, cervical cancer, brain cancer, and ectopic pregnancy.

The FDA found progestin-only contraception can also cause the following side effects: headaches, dizziness, nausea, increased appetite, abdominal pain, cramps and bloating, fatigue, painful periods, nervousness, backache, breast discomfort, acne, and depression.

July 13, 2023

Chicago Mayor Promises Free Abortions and Prosecution of Sidewalk Counselors

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's priorities for the city include free abortion pills and prosecution of sidewalk counselors.

A "Transition Report" released by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in the wake of his election win details his priorities for the city. Those priorities include:
  • "fully funding" Chicago's "Office of Reproductive Health"
  • creating awareness campaigns to ensure residents know abortion is legal and taxpayer-funded
  • promoting enrollment in Medicaid (which covers abortion in Illinois)
  • giving taxpayer dollars directly to pro-abortion organizations such as the Chicago Abortion Fund and Midwest Access Coalition
  • staffing the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and other city departments with "professionals... trained in the latest developments in the reproductive healthcare space."
  • crafting policies that would require CDPH facilities to provide abortion-inducing drugs at no cost to patients (using taxpayer dollars)
  • "enforc[ing] Chicago’s “bubble zone” ordinance, which bars individuals from approaching within eight feet of a person within 50 feet of an abortion clinic if their purpose is to engage in counseling, education, leafleting, hand billing, or protest."
Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, criticized Johnson's threat of prosecution. In a statement to LifeSite News, he wrote,

"Brandon Johnson wants to make Chicago into Abortion City, USA. We know that more than half of abortions are actually unwanted, but Johnson is pushing abortion on disadvantaged women anyway, instead of offering them the practical help they need and want so they can choose life for their babies. He doesn’t even want these women to get help from pro-life Chicagoans, as he is promising to step up enforcement of the Bubble Zone law that police routinely misapply, and over which the city has already been sued."

"Looks like we might be headed back to court to fight for our simple right to help women in need," Scheidler said.

The Seventh Circuit upheld the bubble zone ordinance in 2019 under the precedent of a 2000 Supreme Court Ruling. In their decision, three judges (including then-Judge Amy Coney Barrett) wrote that pro-lifers could feasibly win at the Supreme Court and overturn the precedent.

July 12, 2023

Biden Admin Loses Court Battle in Attempt to Force Pro-Life Doctors to Commit Abortions

On June 29, the Biden administration chose not to appeal a federal court ruling preventing the government from enforcing a law that would force pro-life doctors to commit abortions.

A rule issued by the Biden administration's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would have revoked a Trump-era rule protecting pro-life medical workers from being required to commit abortions or perform transgender procedures.

The HHS rule change was blocked by the Fifth and Eighth Circuits. In the challenge that came before the Eighth Circuit, a coalition of Catholic organizations sued the Biden administration to prevent the government from enforcing the mandate. After a federal court found the mandate unlawful, the Biden administration appealed its decision. The Eighth Circuit upheld the lower court's decision to block the mandate.


The final deadline for the Biden administration to appeal the Eighth Circuit's decision passed on June 29, preventing the HHS from enforcing the mandate and protecting the conscience rights of pro-life healthcare workers.

July 11, 2023

HHS Gives Planned Parenthood $5 Million in Grant Funding for "Teen Pregnancy Prevention"

President Joe Biden's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) just awarded over $5 million in taxpayer funding through grants to Planned Parenthood. The grants were issued to the abortion giant through the HHS's "Teen Pregnancy Prevention Opportunities" (TPP) program.

The HHS says that the TPP program provides funding for programs that "improve adolescent sexual health outcomes and promote positive youth development in communities across the United States."

As most of its revenue comes from abortion, Planned Parenthood as a business has little incentive to prevent pregnancy. Because of this, much of its sex education materials prioritize "safe sex" rather than abstinence. By enabling hookup culture, Planned Parenthood stands to profit when contraception fails.

$5,119,840 of the $68.5 million in five-year grants were given to six Planned Parenthood affiliates:
  • Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida (PPSENF) was granted $983,516.
  • Planned Parenthood California Central Coast (PPCCC) was granted $798,640.
  • Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Inc. (PPMM) was awarded $985,867
  • Planned Parenthood Great Northwest HI, AK, IN, and KY was awarded $487,013.
  • Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS) was granted $773,619.
  • Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) was granted $1,091,185

July 10, 2023

Newborn Twins Found Dead in Chicago Day Care Bathroom

On Thursday, July 6, newborn twin girls were found dead in a bathroom at Bernice Lavin Early Childhood Education Center on the campus of Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.

Just before 7:00 pm, the bodies were discovered by a janitorial crew who spotted a trail of blood on the bathroom floor. The janitors followed the trail to a cabinet. The unresponsive babies were found inside a trash bag stuffed in the cabinet. They were rushed to Lurie Children's Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

According to the authorities and the education center, the twins' mother (a 29-year-old who works at the education center) experienced a medical emergency leading to unexpected delivery. About an hour before the janitorial staff discovered the babies, the mother was found in the first-floor bathroom covered in blood. Someone called 911, and the mother was taken to the emergency room.

Neither the education center nor the authorities commented on whether the children died before delivery. No information is publicly available explaining who stuffed the children in a trash bag or why.

Regardless of whether they survived birth, these babies were treated without the respect human life deserves. If there was concern that the mother could not care for her children, she could have found support at a pro-life pregnancy center or surrendered her children to first responders under Illinois's Safe Haven law.

An alarming trend of stories regarding abandoned infants has been in the news recently. As a culture of abortion and dehumanization persists, more babies die tragic preventable deaths.

July 7, 2023

US District Court Rejects Satanic Temple's Challenge to Texas Abortion Law

This week, the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas rejected a lawsuit by The Satanic Temple challenging pro-life informed consent laws on religious grounds.

The temple's complaint argued that pro-life laws infringed upon the religious freedom rights of Satanists who believe abortion is a religious ritual. The laws in question include a waiting-period law and a law that requires pregnant mothers to be given the opportunity to hear the baby's heartbeat and see the baby's ultrasound image.

“SB 8’s ban on abortions after six weeks infringes upon our members’ rights to engage with their chosen religion and to participate in religious rites and rituals,” the Satanic Temple’s Director of Campaign Operations, Erin Helian, claimed in a statement when they filed the amended lawsuit. “In accordance with our Third Tenet, The Satanic Temple will push back against the Texas legislature’s violation of our members’ bodily autonomy and freedom of choice.”

The court described the lawsuit as "cryptic" and noted that the challenge lacked basic facts about the plaintiff "Ann Doe's" legal standing to sue.

This case bears a resemblance to a separate challenge by pro-abortion groups challenging Indiana's pro-life law protecting children from abortion at all gestational ages. Rather than the First Amendment, the Indiana challenge invokes Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act; arguing that the pro-life law oppresses religions that allow abortion.

July 6, 2023

Abortion Rights Amendment to Appear on Ohio Ballot

On July 5, pro-abortion groups in Ohio submitted over 700,000 signatures to place an amendment creating a right to abortion on the November ballot. If successful, the proposed amendment would enshrine abortion rights into Ohio's state constitution.

Supporters of the amendment submitted 710,131 signatures in support of the amendment. Ohio law required 413,487 to place it on the ballot. The excess signatures were collected to account for errors that could cause some signatures to not count.

The pro-abortion groups allied in support of the amendment include Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.

“The ACLU’s radical amendment would allow for abortion until birth with no protections for the preborn,” said Peter Range, CEO of Ohio Right to Life. “Additionally, it would eliminate parental rights and notification laws if you have a teenage daughter who is being pressured into an abortion or even a sex change operation.”

July 5, 2023

Proposed Amendment to NY Constitution would Create Right to Abortion

New York Gov Kathy Hochul (D)
Pro-abortion groups are advocating for an amendment to New York's state constitution that would create a right to abortion. A proposed 2024 ballot measure would amend the state constitution to prevent New York from enforcing any laws restricting abortion.

Axios reports that "New Yorkers for Equal Rights" plans to raise $20 million to spend on "TV and digital ads, direct mail programs, grassroots organizing and voter education."

Axios reported that New Yorkers for Equal Rights is partnering with pro-abortion politicians such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Gov. Kathy Hochul. The group is also partnering with Planned Parenthood, the New York Civil Liberties Union, and the NAACP.

July 3, 2023

Happy Independence Day!

 


June 30, 2023

Indiana Supreme Court Overturns Injunction Blocking Pro-Life Law

On June 30, the Indiana Supreme Court vacated an injunction blocking Indiana's law protecting unborn children from abortion at all gestational ages. The law contains exceptions for rape, incest, when the mother's life is at risk, or when the child is diagnosed with a fatal anomaly.

County Judge Kelsey B Hanlon imposed the temporary injunction last September, arguing that the law violates the Indiana constitution's privacy protections. Indiana Supreme Court Justice Derek R. Molter wrote that the pro-life law adheres to the state constitution's requirements due to its exceptions. He wrote that the Indiana constitution, “protects a woman’s right to an abortion that is necessary to protect her life or to protect her from a serious health risk, but the General Assembly otherwise retains broad legislative discretion for determining whether and the extent to which to prohibit abortions.”

The Indiana Supreme Court also wrote that the abortion businesses challenging the law “cannot show a reasonable likelihood of success” arguing that the entire law is unconstitutional.

A separate challenge claims that the law violates Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). This challenge claims that abortion can be a religious ritual, and it oppresses those whose religions allow abortion. The RFRA challenge is moving forward as a class action lawsuit. If this challenge is successful, the law would not apply to women who say their religion permits abortion.

Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)