Indiana signs fetal defects abortion ban into law
INDIANAPOLIS — Republican Gov. Mike Pence signed a bill into law Thursday making Indiana the second state to ban abortions because of fetal genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome.
Mr. Pence signed the measure just hours ahead of his deadline to take action on the proposal approved by the Republicandominated Legislature two weeks ago, the governor’s office said. It is due to take effect in July, but Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky said it will ask a court to block the measure before that can happen.
“It is clear that the governor is more comfortable practicing medicine without a license than behaving as a responsible lawyer, as he picks and chooses which constitutional rights are appropriate,” the group’s head, Betty Cockrum, said in a statement.
Mr. Pence called the bill “a comprehensive pro-life measure that affirms the value of all human life.”
“I believe that a society can be judged by how it deals with its most vulnerable — the aged, the infirm, the disabled and the unborn,” he said in a statement.
he bill is among several limiting abortion that have passed conservative legislatures in recent years, but the sheer number of restrictions in Indiana’s legislation made it distinct.
In addition to banning abortions due to fetal genetic abnormalities, the law will prohibit abortions done because of a fetus’ race, sex or ancestry and mandates that the only way to dispose of an aborted fetus is through burial or cremation.
The law also restricts fetal tissue donation and requires doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital or to have an agreement with a doctor who does.
The bill has been criticized by a national group of gynecologists and several female Republican members of the GOP-dominated Indiana Legislature, who say it goes too far in telling women what they can and can’t do.
Mr. Pence called the bill “a comprehensive pro-life measure that affirms the value of all human life.”
It is unclear what impact, if any, the restrictions will actually have on abortions, as women could cite other reasons — or not give any — for seeking an abortion. Under the measure, doctors who perform forbidden abortions could be sued for wrongful death or face discipline from the state medical licensing board. Women receiving such abortions wouldn’t face punishment.
Critics say the measure would require pregnant women to endure complicated pregnancies that pose a danger to their health and would lead women to not speak candidly with their doctors.
North Dakota adopted similar restrictions under a 2013 law approved by that state’s Republican-led Legislature.