Court reinstates several Indiana abortion restrictions
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A series of laws adding restrictions on abortions in Indiana have taken effect.
A federal appeals court on Monday overturned a district court ruling blocking the laws from being enforced.
The appeals court order cited the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in June, which overturned Roe v. Wade and declared there is no Constitutional right to an abortion.
The ruling reinstates several Indiana abortion laws, including:
- Ban on telemedicine in abortion.
- Requirement for in-person counseling.
- Mandatory disclosure on fetal pain.
- Limiting first-trimester medication abortions to physicians.
- Requirements for surgical and chemical abortion facilities.
Federal Judge Sarah Evans Barker had ruled several Indiana abortion restrictions unconstitutional in August 2021.
The decision was part of a lawsuit by a South Bend organization that sought to throw out essentially all of Indiana’s abortion laws.
Attorney General Todd Rokita, who has previously told News 8 that he supports a ban on abortion with no exceptions, praised the court’s ruling.
“Our team has fought long and hard in this case as part of our larger effort to build a culture of life in Indiana,” Rokita said in a news release. “With the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case, it is clear that life is winning. But we will stay relentless in doing the right thing for unborn babies and their mothers’ well-being.”
State lawmakers are set to meet in a special session beginning July 25 where they are expected to consider legislation to essentially ban abortion in Indiana.
Details of a potential bill have not yet been made public.