Republicans within the Indiana Senate narrowly voted Saturday to ban almost all abortion within the state in a uncommon weekend session, sending the invoice to the Home after a contentious week of arguments over whether or not to permit exceptions for rape and incest.
The vote places Indiana on monitor to be one of many first states within the nation to cross new abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court docket struck down Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that had protected girls’s proper to an abortion for 50 years. The measure led to protests by 1000’s of ladies who descended on the Statehouse this week and outrage amongst medical doctors and main medical associations.
A majority of Senate Republicans supported the controversial measure, regardless of issues from some on the far proper of the caucus that it does not go far sufficient to limit abortion and issues by extra reasonable Republicans {that a} zero-week ban is simply too strict. They voted to cross the invoice with the fewest variety of sure votes wanted, 26-20, with no help from Democrats.
Republicans who voted towards the measure have been cut up. Some, like Sens. Kyle Walker and Veneta Becker, mentioned the invoice was too restrictive. Others, like Indianapolis Sen. Michael Younger, voting towards the measure as a result of it did not go far sufficient.
Sen. Jean Breaux, an Indianapolis Democrat, mentioned the invoice “feels very very like an assault on womanhood.”
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“Within the historical past of Indiana, this will probably be a foul day,” Breaux mentioned. “There are some on this chamber who rejoice about what we’re doing right this moment. I, nevertheless, bow my head in disgrace and sorrow and pray that this regressive and merciless coverage fails to turn into regulation in Indiana.”
Whereas lawmakers debated the proposal for 3 hours, protesters simply exterior the chamber stored up a near-constant drumbeat of boos and chanting that often drowned out senators on the microphone.
Di Harding, a 23-year-old Indianapolis resident, was among the many group. Harding thought being there Saturday may make a distinction.
“I feel there was some small half in my mind this whole time that thought that there was a risk that we may change some minds right this moment,” they mentioned, “There was a risk that seeing the individuals, the faces of these they might discriminate towards, would do one thing to them, perhaps stir one thing of their hearts.”
After the vote, Harding was certainly one of many protesters in tears.
“It wasn’t surprising,” they mentioned, “nevertheless it was horrifying.”
Because the votes have been tallied, protesters inside and out of doors the chamber shouted “disgrace” as tensions grew. Younger needed to be escorted by way of the hallways as protesters shouted and chased after him.
Polling has proven that almost all of Hoosiers help some continued entry to abortion. A current Public Coverage Polling survey discovered that almost two-thirds of Hoosiers surveyed mentioned they consider that abortion needs to be authorized in all or most circumstances, and solely 7% mentioned they assume it needs to be unlawful in all circumstances.
As handed, Senate Invoice 1 bans all abortions besides in circumstances of rape, incest or when the pregnant particular person’s life is in danger. Exceptions for rape and incest solely apply throughout the first 12 weeks for women age 15 or youthful and the primary eight weeks for pregnant women and girls age 16 or older.
Earlier within the week, 18 Republicans voted in favor of stripping exceptions for rape and incest − an effort that finally failed. The Senate debated amendments to the invoice for 5 hours Thursday, stretching previous midnight. Additionally they shot down an effort supported by some reasonable Republicans and Democrats to elongate the variety of weeks to legalize abortion to twenty in circumstances of rape and one other change that may have thrown all the query of abortion to voters in a referendum.
IndyStar reporter Lizzie Kane contributed to this story.
Name IndyStar training reporter Arika Herron at 317-201-5620 or e mail her at [email protected]. Comply with her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.
