Indiana passes near-total abortion ban, the first state to do so post-Roe

Supporters of abortion rights crowded into the corridors of the Indiana Statehouse throughout the day as lawmakers cast their votes, some holding signs that read “You can only ban safe abortions” and “Abortion is health care.”

In a statement released shortly after signing the bill, Holcomb said he had “stated clearly” following the fall of Roe that he would be willing to support antiabortion legislation. He also highlighted the “carefully negotiated” exceptions in the law, which he said address “some of the unthinkable circumstances a woman or unborn child might face.”

Before settling on the exceptions, Republican legislators disagreed on how far the law should go, with some GOP members siding with Democrats in demanding that abortion be legal in cases of rape and incest.

Abortion rights organizations quickly rebuked the law. Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said the vote “was cruel and will prove devastating for pregnant people and their families in Indiana and across the whole region.”

“Hoosiers didn’t want this,” Johnson said.

In a statement, antiabortion group Indiana Right to Life opposed the exceptions, and said the new law did not go far enough in cutting abortion access.

Kansans resoundingly reject amendment aimed at restricting abortion rights

The push by Indiana Republicans to restrict abortion access stands in stark contrast with the overwhelming support for it by voters in Kansas, where an attempt to strip away abortion protections was voted down this week in another traditionally conservative state. That victory is likely to boost the Democratic Party’s hope that the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade will energize voters ahead of the midterm elections — and give Republicans reason to consider the potential fallout should they pursue more stringent abortion regulations.

Unlike many of its predominantly conservative neighboring states in the Midwest, Indiana did not have a “trigger law” on the books that would immediately prohibit abortion when Roe was overturned. Because the procedure had been legal in the state up to 22 weeks, Indiana became the destination for many seeking to terminate their pregnancies.

Cutting off this “critical access point” may force people to travel “hundreds of miles or carry pregnancies against their will,” the American Civil Liberties Union said.

Most recently, a 10-year-old girl rape victim had to travel to Indianapolis for an abortion after she was denied one in her home state of Ohio. The case prompted outrage among abortion rights proponents, was criticized by President Biden and drew international attention.

The OB/GYN who provided the care, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, has faced threats and harassment. Her legal team is looking into filing a defamation suit against Indiana’s attorney general, whose office is investigating how the abortion case was handled.

Kim Bellware contributed to this report.