Senate panel passes amended abortion restrictions bill

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – An Indiana Senate committee has approved a bill that would ban abortions sought for a fetus’ genetic disability and require aborted or miscarried fetuses to be cremated or interred.

The Senate Health and Provider Services Committee voted 6-3 Wednesday for the bill, which now goes to the full Senate for consideration.

The committee first voted by the same margin to amend the bill to ban abortions if the provider knows the procedure is being sought because of the fetus’ gender or a genetic disability. That language had been in a bill that already cleared the Senate but didn’t receive a hearing in the House.

Social conservatives who support the cremation and interment provisions say those are the only humane and dignified ways to dispose of a fetus.