Daybreak Insider DaybreakInsider.com and Townhall.com, among other news outlets, reported that Indiana has become the first state to place a near total ban on abortion post the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. According to the posts, Gov. Eric Holcomb (R-Ind) signed the bill late Friday evening which will ban the procedure except in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life and physical health of the mother. The Senate passed the legislation in a 28 t 19 vote, just hours after the House passed it in a 62 to 38 vote.
The exceptions are qualified. The rape and incest exceptions “only apply in the first 10 weeks post-fertilization.” However, “victims would not be required to sign a notarized affidavit attesting to an attack, which had previously been proposed.”
Holcomb stated: “These actions followed long days of hearings filled with sobering and personal testimony from citizens and elected representatives on this emotional and complex topic. Ultimately, those voices shaped and informed the final contents of the legislation and its carefully negotiated exceptions to address some of the unthinkable circumstances a woman or unborn child might face.”
Additional consequences of the ban, which will take effect September 15, include the likely eventual shut down of all abortion clinics, since the procedure can only be done in hospitals or outpatient centers owned by a hospital. Notably, a doctor who illegally performs an abortion will lose their medical license.
As reported, while signing the law, Holcomb proudly said he achieved his goal of protecting unborn life in his state of Indiana. “I am personally most proud of each Hoosier who came forward to courageously share their views in a debate that is unlikely to cease any time soon… For my part as your governor, I will continue to keep an open ear.”
“Following the overturning of Roe, I stated clearly that I would be willing to support legislation that made progress in protecting life,” Holcomb said, adding “In my view, [the abortion law] accomplishes this goal.”
As stated in a Tweet, Eli Lilly and Co., among Indiana’s largest employers, commented on Indiana’s new near-total abortion ban: “Lilly recognizes that abortion is a divisive and deeply personal issue with no clear consensus among the citizens of Indiana. Despite this lack of agreement, Indiana has opted to quickly adopt one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the Untied States. We are concerned that this law will hinder Lilly’s—and Indiana’s—ability to attract divers scientific, engineering and business talent from around the world.” Lilly’s statement concluded: “Given this new law, we will be forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state.”