INDIANAPOLIS— Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the ruling remains a focal point of nationwide discussions and events, including women’s rights rallies and March for Life gatherings.
Indiana’s annual “March for Life” rally, organized by Right to Life, is taking place today at the Statehouse.
The rally’ comes at a time when the state is considering the introduction of new legislative proposals aimed at further restricting access to abortion.
Indiana, which implemented a near-total abortion ban in 2023 following the Supreme Court’s decision, is now considering Senate Bill 171, a measure that could have wide-reaching implications for abortion access.
The proposed legislation seeks to prohibit the use of medication abortion methods entirely and would make rape or incest victims provide an affidavit.
Healthcare professionals who prescribe abortion-inducing drugs could face legal repercussions under the bill, adding a new layer of regulation and potential deterrence for providers.
Additionally, the bill targets organizations that provide financial support for obtaining abortion medication, effectively limiting alternative avenues for women seeking abortions.
The legislation also mandates that women seeking abortions in cases of rape or incest provide a formal affidavit to their healthcare provider.
WRTV talked to the "Right to Life" organizer about the current state of abortion in Indiana and the bill proposal.
"Right now, we have about $6.25 million set aside for Indiana's pregnancy and parenting support program that needs to increase," said Mark Tuttle, Right to Life. "There were about 16,000 women last year that sought help and to help meet that need, we need an increase in the support there with that so women feel like they are supported to keep the baby."
Tuttle says Indiana can do more things to streamline the adoption process and there are more things to do to make sure women are not facing pregnancy on their own.
"We are going to have a large group today at the statehouse," said Tuttle. "We are marching for three reasons: to remember the lives lost, increase support and help for pregnant moms and babies and to make sure Indiana can help pregnant moms no matter the circumstances."
The other side says these measures are an infringement on women’s healthcare rights and personal autonomy.
Planned Parenthood is raising concerns about the implications for reproductive healthcare access, particularly for marginalized communities.
“Despite the devastating impact our near-total ban is already having—delaying critical medical care, forcing some pregnant people to cross state lines, and even risking lives—our lawmakers are doubling down on cruel, punitive restrictions,” said Haley Bougher, Indiana State Director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates (PPAA-IN). “Hoosiers deserve compassion, dignity, and evidence-based medical care. Instead, these bills take aim at already-vulnerable patients, muzzle and penalize health providers, and push our state further into a maternal health crisis."
Planned Parenthood says the near-total abortion ban has already led to a decrease in OBGYN residency applications and a nursing shortage that's predicted to significantly increase over the next few years.
Indiana’s evolving abortion laws are part of a larger national trend as states navigate the post-Roe legal landscape.
To read the full proposed bill click HERE.
