According to the Indianapolis Star, Indiana's State Representative Curt Nisly is proposing a bill that would make any abortions in Indiana illegal. Under this bill, if you were to get the procedure done, you could possibly face charges.
If the bill were to be proposed, it would be considered unconstitutional as of right now. The U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade and subsequent decisions have effectively established a woman’s right to an abortion before viability of the fetus. Which you may find yourself wondering why they would even propose this bill if the chances of it being passed were not very high. Well, It is because of Donald Trumps's presidential victory and his power to have the Supreme Court rethink their decision on this matter. Indiana Governor, Mike Pence has reassured people that Trump has not changed his mind on punishing women who decide to abort a fetus. Pence has stated that Trump plans to end Roe. v. Wade. If Trump decides to do so, this bill will no longer be considered unconstitutional.
The argument that pro choice advocates have is that the constitution states : The clause of the Fourteenth Amendment relevant to the argument reads: No State shall … deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law…." Therefore forcing a woman to have a child she does not want is against her liberty. Some argue that is not what the constitution means, but it still states "liberty" and you cannot allow the constitution to only apply to those you want it to.
“My position is that the Supreme Court is wrong with Roe v. Wade,” Nisly said, “and they don’t have jurisdiction in this manner. This is the state of Indiana asserting the powers that are given to them, specifically in the 9th and 10th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.”
Back in March, Pence signed a bill that made Indiana have the most strict abortion law in the nation. The bill required women to have a burial or cremation of fetal remains from an abortion or miscarriage.
What does this ban mean for women who could die because of their pregnancy? It means that your options are limited. Nisly said that our only option is "making sure doctors do all they can to save the mother and the baby." However, with abortion being completely banned, there are no exceptions to this law. Your life could be at risk. Does this bill still apply to those who are raped? Yes. You will carry your rapist baby full term. As of now, the bill does not have exceptions. If this were to get passed, no abortions would be allowed.
If you do/do not support this bill, allow your voice to be heard. You can contact your local Indiana Legislator by going to: http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/ or https://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators/
