Skip to content Skip to search

Republish This Story

* Please read before republishing *

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Creative Commons license as long as you follow our republishing guidelines, which require that you credit The 19th and retain our pixel. See our full guidelines for more information.

To republish, simply copy the HTML at right, which includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to The 19th. Have questions? Please email [email protected].

— The Editors

Loading...

Modal Gallery

/
Sign up for our newsletter

Menu

  • Our Mission
  • Our Team
  • Latest Stories
  • Search
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Work With Us
  • Fellowships
    • From the Collection

      Changing Child Care

      Illustration of a woman feeding a baby a bottle
      • 1 in 4 parents report being fired for work interruptions due to child care breakdowns

        Chabeli Carrazana · February 2
      • Washington, D.C., offers financial relief to local child care workers

        Orion Rummler · September 20
      • As climate change worsens hurricane season in Louisiana, doulas are ensuring parents can safely feed their babies

        Jessica Kutz · May 5
    • From the Collection

      Next-Gen GOP

      Illustration of a woman riding an elephant
      • Mayra Flores’ victory set a record for women in Congress. It also reflects the growing visibility of Republican Latinas

        Candice Norwood · June 21
      • A banner year for Republican women

        Amanda Becker · November 11
      • Republican women could double representation in the U.S. House

        Amanda Becker · November 4
    • From the Collection

      On The Rise

      Illustration of three women marching
      • Can Cheri Beasley build a winning coalition in North Carolina?

        Candice Norwood · October 11
      • Los Angeles has never elected a woman mayor. Karen Bass hopes to change that.

        Nadra Nittle · September 8
      • Judge J. Michelle Childs is confirmed to D.C. appeals court

        Candice Norwood · July 20
    • From the Collection

      Pandemic Within a Pandemic

      Illustration of four people marching for Black Lives Matter with coronavirus as the backdrop
      • Some LGBTQ+ people worry that the COVID-19 vaccine will affect HIV medication. It won’t.

        Orion Rummler · November 23
      • Why are more men dying from COVID? It’s a complicated story of nature vs. nurture, researchers say

        Mariel Padilla · September 22
      • Few incarcerated women were released during COVID. The ones who remain have struggled.

        Candice Norwood · August 17
    • From the Collection

      Portraits of a Pandemic

      Illustration of a woman wearing a mask and holding up the coronavirus
      • For family caregivers, COVID is a mental health crisis in the making

        Shefali Luthra · October 8
      • A new database tracks COVID-19’s effects on sex and gender

        Shefali Luthra · September 15
      • Pregnant in a pandemic: The 'perfect storm for a crisis'

        Shefali Luthra · August 25
    • From the Collection

      The 19th Explains

      People walking from many articles to one article where they can get the context they need on an issue.
      • The 19th Explains: What we know about Brittney Griner’s case and what it took to get her home

        Candice Norwood, Katherine Gilyard · December 8
      • The 19th Explains: Why the Respect for Marriage Act doesn’t codify same-sex marriage rights

        Kate Sosin · December 8
      • The 19th Explains: Why baby formula is still hard to find months after the shortage

        Mariel Padilla · December 1
    • From the Collection

      The Electability Myth

      Illustration of three women speaking at podiums
      • Mayra Flores’ victory set a record for women in Congress. It also reflects the growing visibility of Republican Latinas

        Candice Norwood · June 21
      • Stepping in after tragedy: How political wives became widow lawmakers

        Mariel Padilla · May 24
      • Do term limits help women candidates? New York could be a new testing ground

        Barbara Rodriguez · January 11
    • From the Collection

      The Impact of Aging

      A number of older people walking down a path of information.
      • From ballroom dancing to bloodshed, the older AAPI community grapples with gun control

        Nadra Nittle, Mariel Padilla · January 27
      • 'I'm planning on working until the day I die': Older women voters are worried about the future

        Mariel Padilla · June 3
      • Climate change is forcing care workers to act as first responders

        Jessica Kutz · May 31
    • From the Collection

      Voting Rights

      A series of hands reaching for ballots.
      • Connecticut voters approved early voting. Here’s how their new secretary of state wants to make it happen.

        Barbara Rodriguez · February 13
      • Women lawmakers in Minnesota are in the vanguard of the democracy movement

        Barbara Rodriguez · February 3
      • Election workers believe in our system — and want everyone else to, too

        Barbara Rodriguez, Jennifer Gerson · November 8

    View all collections

  • Explore by Topic

    • 19th Polling
    • Abortion
    • Business & Economy
    • Caregiving
    • Coronavirus
    • Education
    • Election 2020
    • Election 2022
    • Election 2024
    • Environment & Climate
    • Health
    • Immigration
    • Inside The 19th
    • Justice
    • LGBTQ+
    • Military
    • Politics
    • Press Release
    • Race
    • Sports
    • Technology

    View All Topics

Home
  • Our Mission
  • Our Team
  • Latest Stories
  • Search
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Work With Us
  • Fellowships

We’re an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy. Read our story.

The 19th Represents Summit

Don’t miss our biggest event of 2023!

Register Today

Become a member

The 19th thanks our sponsors. Become one.

A woman holds a sign at a protest in Indianapolis.
Abortion-rights activists rally at the Indiana Statehouse following Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, on June 25, 2022 in Indianapolis. (AJ Mast/AP)

Abortion

Indiana opens special session to debate near-total abortion ban

Lawmakers convene to introduce a near-total ban, just weeks after a 10-year-old had traveled to Indiana to receive an abortion unavailable in her home state.

Mariel Padilla

General Assignment Reporter

Mariel Padilla portrait

Published

2022-07-25 10:51
10:51
July 25, 2022
am

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana is convening a special session to pass new abortion restrictions, becoming the first state to do so since the Supreme Court decision dismantled federal abortion protections. 

Many legislators, courts and advocacy groups across the country are watching Indiana as other states continue to face legal and logistical challenges to implementing old trigger laws and new bans in the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and its abortion protections. The White House is also paying attention: Vice President Kamala Harris met with state legislators on Monday before the testimony period began. 

Gov. Eric Holcomb on June 22 signed a proclamation calling the General Assembly, which has a Republican supermajority in both chambers, back for a special session originally slated for July 6 before being postponed to July 25. The special session must end by August 14, according to Indiana code. 

The 19th thanks our sponsors. Become one.

Abortion in Indiana is currently legal up to 22 weeks after the last menstrual period, but people seeking an abortion must wait 18 hours before getting the procedure and are required to undergo counseling and an ultrasound. When Roe was overturned last month, Indiana did not have in place a trigger law that would have quickly implemented a ban.  In the month since, lawmakers working to draft new abortion legislation have received thousands of letters, emails, phone calls and visits from constituents. Republicans in the state Senate unveiled their proposed legislation July 20, days before the special session was set to begin. 

One bill would completely ban abortion with a few narrow exceptions, including if the life of the pregnant person is at risk and in cases of rape or incest. Another proposed bill would provide nearly $50 million to programs and services dedicated to supporting pregnant people and young families. 

  • More from The 19th
    An ultrasound machine sits next to an exam table in an examination room at an Indiana abortion clinic.
  • Indiana doctor performed abortion for a 10-year-old girl, document shows
  • What abortion looks like in every state — right now
  • ‘We feel kind of powerless’: The end of Roe is overwhelming clinics in states that protect abortion

State Sen. Sue Glick, a Republican and author of the first bill, known as Senate Bill 1, said: “Many in the pro-life movement have long believed in exceptions to abortion restrictions for life of the mother, and that exception is included in the bill. In addition, we recognize that there are heartbreaking cases where, because of violence committed against women and young girls, we have provided for some additional exception.” 

The special session comes as a high-profile child rape case put Indiana in the national spotlight and highlighted the real-world impact that its laws will have on Hoosiers and those in surrounding states. Earlier this month, reports circulated of a 10-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted in Ohio, became pregnant and traveled to terminate the pregnancy in Indiana. National and international media highlighted the story; the doctor who performed the abortion faced public and media scrutiny; and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced on Fox News that he would investigate the situation.

Harris announced last week that she would be traveling to Indianapolis to meet with state legislators Monday to “discuss the fight to protect reproductive rights.” 

If passed as proposed, the two Senate bills would go into effect September 1.

Glick said the proposed legislation is “not about criminalizing women,” and emphasized that it would not affect access to the morning-after pill or any other method of birth control. It also would not affect treatment of miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies or in vitro fertilization procedures, she said. And in terms of enforcement, the bill does not create any new penalties for doctors who perform abortion — instead relying on existing policies that would revoke a doctor’s license for performing an illegal abortion, Glick added. 

If the proposed legislation is passed unchanged, Indiana would be one of at least eight states to ban abortion from conception, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Unlike Indiana’s proposed legislation, however, many don’t have any exceptions to their bans. In Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, South Dakota and Texas, for instance, have abortion bans with no exceptions for rape or incest. 

When Senate Republicans announced their proposed bill, Democratic legislators were quick to condemn any restrictions to abortion. The ACLU of Indiana also released a letter signed by more than 200 businesses opposing restrictions, though some of the state’s largest firms remained silent. Ryan Mears, one Democratic prosecutor, even announced his office would not prosecute abortion-related crimes, regardless of the new law. A recent survey found that more Hoosiers opposed abortion after six weeks, but that the majority supported abortions in cases of rape and to save the life of the pregnant person. 

Stories by experienced reporters you can trust and relate to.

Delivered directly to your inbox every weekday.

Please check your email to confirm your subscription!

Submitting…

Uh-oh! Something went wrong. Please try again later.

Sen. Rodric Bray, a Republican and president pro tempore of the Indiana Senate, introduced Senate Bill 2, the bill that would allocate millions of dollars to support pregnant women, before and after birth.

“While we may have educated guesses about what kind of support may be needed following the implementation of Senate Bill 1, no one can predict exactly what services will be needed in post-Roe Indiana” Bray said last week when unveiling the legislation. “That said, this special session, we intend to use Senate Bill 2 to add an additional $50 million to programs to support women who are or may become pregnant.” 

The majority of the funding would go toward the creation of the Hoosier Families First Fund, which would feed what the bill described as pregnancy resource centers, access to contraception and pregnancy planning and a community health program that connects first-time mothers with nurses. The bill includes language that would increase access to child care for low-income families and provide additional support for foster and adoptive families. The remaining $5 million would go to increase the cap on Indiana’s adoption credit from $1,000 to $10,000. 

If the measures pass, the budget committee will review how the money is allocated in January when they reconvene for a budget session.

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email

The 19th Represents Summit

Don’t miss our biggest event of 2023!

Register Today

Become a member

Up Next

A woman sits in a chair in an abortion clinic waiting room.

Abortion

Advocates call for better messaging for minority groups as White House rolls out post-Roe response

Lawmakers and organizations are asking officials to keep in mind some of the country’s most vulnerable communities: immigrants and people of color.

Read the Story

The 19th
The 19th is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Our stories are free to republish in accordance with these guidelines.

  • Donate
  • Newsletter
  • Events
  • Search
  • Jobs
  • Fellowships
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Community Guidelines
  • Membership
  • Membership FAQ
  • Major Gifts
  • Sponsorship
  • Privacy
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram