Indiana’s pregnancy accommodations bill doesn’t provide any

It sounds like the setup to a familiar joke, although there’s no humor to be found in the answer: How bad is Indiana on matters of health?

So bad that the state consistently, persistently ranks low nationally on such issues as smoking, infant mortality and obesity.

And last week brought another depressing “punchline.”

How bad is Indiana on matters of health?

So bad that state lawmakers passed a pregnancy accommodations bill that doesn’t actually provide any. House Bill 1309, which passed the Senate on a 31-19 vote Tuesday, would allow women to ask for pregnancy accommodations — but doesn’t require business to provide them.

HB 1309 is a far cry from the pregnancy accommodations bill that Holcomb and other advocates had called for. It’s also not as expansive as last year’s similarly themed bill, which the Senate voted to essentially gut. That bill would have made most businesses provide “reasonable accommodations” such as more breaks for pregnant women and private places where mothers can pump breast milk.

This isn’t radical legislation we’re talking about, as more than 25 states

already require such protections. Yet it’s a nonstarter in a state where a shameful number of babies don’t live to see their first birthday, and where the rate of Black pregnant women who die is on par with that in countries like Iraq and Vietnam, according to the Indiana Institute for Working Families. Supporters of more comprehensive legislation see it as a way to help improve the state’s infant mortality rate, which federal statistics show was the country’s 14th worst in 2018 with 525 infant deaths.

Opponents express concern on the impact on businesses. The measure, which was supported by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce as a “good compromise,” also prohibits businesses from retaliating against women who ask for accommodations. Rep. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, called for lawmakers to “do better” before she voted against the bill, which she called “a slap in the face for pregnant workers.” In January, the governor highlighted the need for reasonable pregnancy accommodations in his State of the State address, asking the legislature “to get this done for the well-being and security of Indiana’s current and future working mothers.” Holcomb has indicated that he’ll sign HB 1309, and in a statement says it’s “a step forward in assisting pregnant women in the workforce.” Bill sponsor Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, who also sponsored last year’s doomed measure, compared HB 1309 to the jump ball in basketball, meaning it’s just the start. “You may grow old trying to get the bill that I did last year, very old. Or we can pass this and continue to work on making it better.” So, how bad is Indiana on matters of health? So bad that passing HB 1309 is considered progress.

— South Bend Tribune, April 11