Most of us, who listen to the news, would agree that our times are anything but boring. We have watched as common sense has been washed away from our culture to allow for many disturbing issues like homosexual marriage and the LBGTQ movement being normalized to such an extent that we see men competing in women’s sports. We also have seen New York state applaud as they passed an abortion law allowing the killing of a full-term baby! Even many pro-choice people were shocked since the democrats used to say abortions should be safe, legal, and rare. So many in our culture today now laud abortion as something good.
Our times have been so crazy, and I thank God we are seeing pushback. The Indiana state legislature passed a bill that protected girls in elementary and high school athletics from having to compete with boys who are or are in the process of transitioning. Governor Holcomb vetoed the bill, but the legislature pushed back and overruled the veto. The republican majority representatives in the Indiana legislature are becoming more courageous and more assertive. Could it be they are tired of the left bullying them? Maybe they see how they have lost some of their power since the Covid emergency gave its Governor dictatorial powers to tell even hospitals what they could or could not do. I was shocked to think the Indiana governor would not leave it up to healthcare professionals to decide if they could do elective surgeries or not. He decided if we were in a state of emergency or not. It really was crazy to see and something Americans have never experienced in our history.
On June 24, 2022, we experienced another historic moment, something many of us hoped for but didn’t know if we would see in our lifetime. After 50 years, Roe vs Wade was overturned. This is monumental not only for the babies but for the life of our republic. Our country was created so we would be represented. Our government was to be for, of, and by the people and we certainly were not supposed to be ruled over. In the past 75 years, our rights have been incrementally taken away by the federal government. Congress and presidents have expanded the federal government with a plethora of agencies and departments that have become huge bureaucracies that make rules and regulations that all must follow. We have seen judicial overreach many times including the Roe vs Wade decision that made it a right to kill an unborn baby. So, the US Supreme Court’s decision that states can decide how to handle the life of the unborn is refreshing and hopeful on so many levels. As of this writing, 22 states have stopped offering abortions, but two states so far have had judges put a hold on their legislation. 5 states have called special sessions to determine abortion law in the wake of the Roe overturning, including South Dakota, Indiana, South Carolina, and Nebraska. Illinois has called for a special session but this was to pass pro-abortion legislation.
It will be interesting to watch what each of these states will do.
A Look at Indiana
In CUP’s hometown of Indiana, we have a Republican majority that is also a pro-life majority. As with most things, when people say they are pro-life or pro-choice, one needs to ask what they mean by that statement. Curt Nisly, a representative from Goshen IN, had written legislation to end abortion in the state yet over and over it was not recognized in committee so it could not get a hearing on the floor. Today, our representatives will be forced to look at Indiana abortion laws and decide how best to represent the people of Indiana and protect the unborn child with no voice.
Here are some highlights of Indiana abortion law from Indiana Right to Life:
- Abortion is legal for the full nine months of pregnancy in Indiana. A 2019 ban on dismemberment (D&E) abortions is currently blocked by an injunction by a federal judge.
- Aborted babies must be humanely buried or cremated. The Supreme Court upheld this law in 2019 in one of the few pro-life victories nationwide over the last decade.
- Freestanding abortion businesses may only do abortions legally in the first trimester. Late-term abortions must be done in hospitals and a physician must be standing by to provide care to the baby in the event the baby is born alive.
- Indiana has a ban on partial-birth abortion.
- Indiana law requires that women considering abortion must be given informed consent that includes information on fetal development, complications of abortion, alternatives to abortion, and more.
- Indiana law requires parental consent for girls under 18 years of age. However, minors can seek a judicial bypass. A law requiring that parents be notified if a minor daughter seeks judicial bypass is blocked by an injunction by a federal judge.
- Abortion counselors must inform a woman considering abortion about the ability to see an ultrasound image of her baby and the ability to hear her baby’s heartbeat. Indiana law requiring that the ultrasound be made available at least 18 hours before an abortion is blocked by a judge.
- Indiana’s law banning abortion, under civil rights code, for the sole reason of race, gender, disability, national origin of the mother, or Down syndrome, is permanently blocked as a result of the Supreme Court refusing to hear Indiana’s appeal in 2019.
Read the full Indiana Code on abortion in Indiana
In 2022, Americans United for Life scored Indiana as the fifth most pro-life state in the nation; however with the rapid changes occurring with bans going in place in various states, this ranking could change significantly.
In 2020, the pro-abortion Population Institute gave Indiana the grade of “F” for being a state that it does not consider friendly to unrestricted abortion access.
Currently, there are abortion centers operating in the Indiana communities of Merrillville, South Bend, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Indianapolis, and Bloomington.
As one can see, there are many things our pro-life legislators can now do in our state. They are set to gather for session the week of July 25. It will be interesting to see what they propose. In the meantime, please write or call your Indiana representative and Senator and consider joining CUP in praying at the state capital July 26.