Indiana House passes abortion ban, sends to Senate

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana House on Friday voted for a ban on nearly all abortions in the state, sending the legislation back to the state Senate to confer on House changes.

House members advanced the near-total abortion ban 62-38 with limited exceptions, including in cases of rape and incest, and to protect the life and physical health of the mother.

If the Senate approves the bill as is, Indiana lawmakers will become the first in the nation to pass new legislation restricting access to abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June that overturned the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision that made the procedure legal nationwide. The measure then would go to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, who has not indicated whether he would sign it.

Republican Rep. Wendy McNamara of Evansville, who sponsored the bill, told reporters after the vote that the legislation “makes Indiana one of the most prolife states in the nation.”

Outside the House chamber, abortion-rights activists often chanted over lawmakers’ remarks, carrying signs like “Roe roe roe your vote” and “Build this wall” between church and state. Some House Democrats wore blazers over pink “Bans Off Our Bodies” T-shirts.

The House version of the ban added exceptions for protecting the health and life of the mother after repeated requests from doctors and others. It also allows abortions if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly.

The bill removes Senate-approved time frames based on a patient’s age for abortions in cases of rape or incest. Instead, it creates a blanket ban after 10 weeks post fertilization on abortions in cases of rape and incest. Victims would not be required to sign a notarized affidavit attesting to an attack.

The House also rejected, largely on party lines, a Democratic proposal to place a non-binding question on the statewide November election ballot: “Shall abortion remain legal in Indiana?”