Senate GOP leaders block minority report in rare procedural move
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The state senate’s top Democrat on Wednesday called a move to prevent discussion of the minority report on an abortion bill a ‘power grab’.
Senators convened Wednesday afternoon to bring in the committee reports for the GOP-backed abortion restriction bill, a routine procedural function. Democrats on the Senate Rules Committee, which held public hearings on the bill earlier this week, filed a minority report containing proposals to extend the deadline for abortion in cases of rape or incest to 20 weeks and to provide for religious exemptions to abortion restrictions.
Senate Republicans used a rare procedural move to block any discussion of the minority report, prompting angry outcries from Democrats.
Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor, who has served in the chamber for 14 years, said it’s very unusual to block a minority report on a bill. He said Wednesday’s move, coupled with the blocking of Democrat-backed amendments to the abortion bill during committee hearings, is designed to limit discussion of the measure.
“The battle has now been waged on whether or not power can be used to manipulate not only the process of a woman to make her healthcare decisions but also for this body to take up issues the supermajority has determined it’s not important enough for them to hear,” said Taylor.
Taylor said he suspects Republicans cut off debate due to a lack of unity among their caucus on the bill. He said almost no one testified in support of the bill during hearings on Monday and Tuesday, with anti-abortion groups saying the bill had too many loopholes to allow a woman to obtain abortion services.
Taylor also pointed to the resignation of Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, from the Senate Republican caucus as evidence of an internal GOP rift. Young’s office confirmed to News 8 he had indeed left the caucus but would not comment on whether it had anything to do with disagreements over the abortion bill. Young’s decision to resign from the caucus means he is still in the Senate but will no longer take part in internal caucus discussions.
A spokesperson for Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray said Democrats had two full days to offer amendments in committee and will get another chance on Thursday, when the full Senate takes up the abortion bill for amendments.