REALLY BIG GOVERNMENT: Indiana Abortions

[ClosedCaption]

Lawmakers voted 72-23 in favor of House Bill 1210, which shortens the window during which abortions are legal and requires that women seeking abortions be told that the procedure carries a risk of breast cancer.

"It is our responsibility to protect the unborn," said the bill's author, Rep. Eric Turner, R-Cicero. "I hope with this legislation, women will be able to make a more informed decision about their pregnancy, and I hope ultimately we'll have fewer abortions in this state."

The bill's passage, Turner said, "will make Indiana one of the most pro-life states in America."

The fact that a similar measure has passed the state Senate makes it likely that some version of the legislation will reach Gov. Mitch Daniels' desk. At that time, the governor will review the bill's final language, said spokeswoman Jane Jankowski. He can decide to sign it, allow it to pass into law without his signature or veto it.

The House vote was a significant victory for Indiana Right to Life, an anti-abortion group that worked closely with lawmakers throughout the session.

"Today's passage of 1210 is a major step forward," said President and Chief Executive Mike Fichter. "It provides protections for pain-capable children (in the womb) after 20 weeks. It gives women better information before making abortion decisions."

The bill also has had fervent resistance from abortion-rights supporters.

About 500 Hoosiers attended a Statehouse rally earlier this month to protest what they called an attack on reproductive rights. Last month, Rep. Linda Lawson, D-Hammond, and Rep. Vanessa Summers, D-Indianapolis, stormed out of a committee room during discussion of the bill. Summers explained later she thought the new Republican House majority "was trying to roll back to the time when women didn't have rights."

The House and Senate bills would give Indiana some of the toughest abortion restrictions in the country, according to statistics compiled by the Guttmacher Institute, a group that tracks state policies on reproductive issues.

More than 20 states prohibit abortion after viability -- when the fetus could survive outside the womb -- except when the woman's health is in danger. Two states -- Nebraska and North Carolina -- make abortion illegal after 20 weeks. Ten states require that patients be told a fetus can feel pain. Six mandate that patients are told abortion has been linked with breast cancer.

The Senate abortion bill, Senate Bill 328, sponsored by Sen. Patricia Miller, R-Indianapolis, was approved 39-9 in February. Like the House bill, it requires abortion providers to tell women that the procedure carries a risk of breast cancer and that a fetus can feel pain. Women also must be told that couples are "willing and waiting" to adopt children and that those couples may pay for prenatal care and childbirth.

Other provision of HB 1210 include:

The Indiana State Department of Health would be required to post information about fetal development and abortion on its website.

The attorney general or a county prosecutor would be able to file an injunction against any abortion provider they think has not followed the rules in the bill.

Abortions would be illegal after 20 weeks, except to preserve the life of the woman. Current state law prohibits abortions after viability, which is determined by the doctor, usually at about 24 weeks. Ninety-seven percent of abortions in the state occur before 13 weeks, according to Planned Parenthood of Indiana.

Many of the measures contained in the House and Senate bills have been longtime goals of anti-abortion activists. Their campaign got a boost this year when 19 new Republicans were elected to the House and six new Republicans to the Senate.

"There is a higher level of support for pro-life legislation in this legislature than in any previous session that I can recall in the last 20 years," Fichter said.

Some Democrats questioned Republicans' priorities at a time when state services for the poor are being cut.

"I would like to see you care as much about the children of this state as you do about fetuses, and I don't see that reflected in our budget," said Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, D-Hammond.

The provision of the bill tying abortion to breast cancer also has been a subject of much debate.

Studies touted by the Republican National Coalition for Life cite a connection between abortion and breast cancer. However, several studies touted by the American Cancer Society dispute any clear link between breast cancer and abortion.

Betty Cockrum, president of Planned Parenthood of Indiana, called Wednesday "a pretty bad day for women and families and the doctor-patient relationship."

"It is alarming to watch lawmakers vote against medically accurate information," she said. "We have all these lay persons who are writing scripts into Indiana law and mandating that doctors read them to their patients when they're not fact-based. . . . It has no place in public health."

House members voted down an amendment by Rep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington, a nurse who supports the bill, to strike the breast cancer provision. A Senate committee voted down an amendment by Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Elletsville, that would have required information given to women seeking abortions be "medically and scientifically accurate."

While speaking on the bill Wednesday, Turner, the author, apologized for saying during debate Tuesday that a woman might falsely claim she had been raped in order to obtain health coverage for an abortion. Turner made the comment while trying to persuade House members to vote down a Democratic amendment that would have allowed certain insurance plans to cover abortion in the case of rape or incest. Representatives voted down the amendment.

Indiana House OKs restrictive abortion bill | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

 

[Zona]

Its all about power. Taking a womans choice away is what they are trying to do.

Here is the deal folks, abortion is legal.

Period.

 

[Avatar4321]

Women have always had a choice. They can choose whether they get pregnant or not.

It's a shame you've taken all choices away from those children.

 

[AllieBaba]

Its all about power. Taking a womans choice away is what they are trying to do.

Here is the deal folks, abortion is legal.

Period.

Killing Indians for a bounty was legal once upon a time, too.

Means nothing.

 

[ClosedCaption]

But they are giving scripted lies to the doctors to tell to these women. So you can't be pro-lies AND pro- big gov can you?

 

[del]

But they are giving scripted lies to the doctors to tell to these women. So you can't be pro-lies AND pro- big gov can you?

d.amn, you're stupid

 

[Avatar4321]

Women have always had a choice. They can choose whether they get pregnant or not.

It's a shame you've taken all choices away from those children.

Hey whatever gets you to sleep at night. I don't prefer to lie in order to do so.
It's always been about moral power because humans like to think we always know better than the next person.

Maybe someday the universe will abort us and then I can laugh at all you retards saying but we didn't get to choose!

Don't need to lie and that's why I didn't.

But then what else do you have when you can't support yourself?

 

[shintao]

Women have always had a choice. They can choose whether they get pregnant or not.

It's a shame you've taken all choices away from those children.

Not children. Fetuses. Children are something the rightwing starves, denies education, school lunches, decent homes, etc.

 

[auditor0007]

I support a woman's right to have an abortion. However, this law does not take that right away. All it says is that you can't have an abortion after 20 weeks. If a woman can't figure out if she wants an abortion by the 20th week, then too bad. That is almost five months into the pregnancy. Honestly, I think it should be 13 to 15 weeks.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

I support a woman's right to have an abortion. However, this law does not take that right away. All it says is that you can't have an abortion after 20 weeks. If a woman can't figure out if she wants an abortion by the 20th week, then too bad. That is almost five months into the pregnancy. Honestly, I think it should be 13 to 15 weeks.

I think the point is about forcing doctors to give patients medically inaccurate information, in an attempt to convince gullible people that having an abortion will give them breast cancer.

 

[Wingsofwind]

I do not support abortions unless it is to save the mother's life.

That being said, I don't think lies should be told to women seeking abortions to discourage them. This just gives those seeking to make it easy for abortions to acquire more ammo against the ones who would like to ban it.

 

[VaYank5150]

I sure wish the GOP cared as much about these children after they are born as they do when they are in the womb.....

 

[DaGoose]

Again, it's all about BIG GUBMINT imposing control over the personal lives of its citizens and those who support BIG GUBMINT doing it.

I'll taken freedom to make my own decisions thank you.

.

 

[ClosedCaption]

But seriously, how can you vote against providing women accurate medical information?

 

[DaGoose]

But seriously, how can you vote against providing women accurate medical information?

I would say that's between her and her doctor. Why do you want BIG GOVERNMENT involved?

.

 

[ClosedCaption]

But seriously, how can you vote against providing women accurate medical information?

I would say that's between her and her doctor. Why do you want BIG GOVERNMENT involved?

.

If the doctor does not read the lies from the government script when they are randomly inspected they face consequences.

Big Government!

 

[Zona]

Its all about power. Taking a womans choice away is what they are trying to do.

Here is the deal folks, abortion is legal.

Period.

Killing Indians for a bounty was legal once upon a time, too.

Means nothing.

Every time you guys say something like this, its always about old laws. Oh yeah...well slavery was legal....blah blah.

How long ago was this people? How long ago?

Right now, I am a law abiding citizen who believes in obeying the law. Are you?

 

[Zona]

But they are giving scripted lies to the doctors to tell to these women. So you can't be pro-lies AND pro- big gov can you?

They hate big gubment unless it is for something like this.


Damn hypocrites.

 

[Zona]

I do not support abortions unless it is to save the mother's life. That being said, I don't think lies should be told to women seeking abortions to discourage them. This just gives those seeking to make it easy for abortions to acquire more ammo against the ones who would like to ban it.

Palin disagrees with you. Something about making lemonade out of lemons or some damn dumb thing.

Personally, I believe in allowing the woman to take control of her body. Just like the law says.

You see, I believe in obeying the law.

 

[Wingsofwind]

I do not support abortions unless it is to save the mother's life. That being said, I don't think lies should be told to women seeking abortions to discourage them. This just gives those seeking to make it easy for abortions to acquire more ammo against the ones who would like to ban it.

Palin disagrees with you. Something about making lemonade out of lemons or some damn dumb thing.

Personally, I believe in allowing the woman to take control of her body. Just like the law says.

You see, I believe in obeying the law.

Ah, but I do not believe everything Palin says. I am an independent thinker. I don't let a group tell me what to think or believe.

You believe in allowing a woman to take control of her body right? Then one way for her to do so is to PREVENT herself from having to be in the position to consider abortion. If she fails to prevent it then she is not taking control of her body now is she? Why is it only AFTER she is pregnant that she is so interested in 'taking control' of her body??