INDIANAPOLIS — Thousands of people flooded the Indiana Statehouse Monday to protest a proposal that would ban abortions except in cases of rape, incest and if the life of the mother is in danger.
Ear-ringing chants of "My body! My choice!" sounded outside the Senate chamber as committee members heard several hours of public comment.
"I have a right to my body autonomy and nobody has a right to tell me what I can and cannot do with my body," said Valerie Smith, who lives in Northern Indiana and came Indianapolis because she wanted the lawmakers to hear her voice.
"For myself, my children and the future of everyone who has a uterus," Smith said. "We shouldn't have any bans. It's our healthcare."
Although they were outnumbered and not nearly as loud, abortion opponents gathered at the Statehouse too, holding signs, praying and singing.
"I'm here fighting for life," Amelia Ball of Anderson said. "We believe that women should have rights but killing children is not the right thing to do."
Sen. Susan Glick (R – District 13), the abortion bill's author, said her plan does not limit access to birth control or the morning-after pill. Abortions, she said, would still be legal in cases where an unborn child is unable to survive outside of the womb.
Abortion would be banned in Indiana except when the pregnancy was the result of rape, incest, child molestation or sexual misconduct with a minor.
The Senate Committee on Rules and Legislative Procedure recessed after 5:30 p.m. Monday. Members will be back in session at 9 a.m. Tuesday to hear more public comments. The committee is scheduled to vote on the abortion bill sometime Tuesday afternoon.
Lawmakers on Monday also unveiled Senate Bill 2, which provides funding to help support expecting mothers and Senate Bill 3, which provides some inflation relief for Hoosiers by capping the gas tax for a period of time and offering a reprieve from sales tax on utilities.
Contact WRTV reporter Vic Ryckaert at victor.ryckaert@wrtv.com or on Twitter: @vicryc
-
New Pharmacy provides low-cost prescriptions to Hoosiers in Decatur Township
Damar Health Services accepts all forms of insurance, including Medicaid or Medicare plans, and Hoosiers without insurance.
Snow Day? Here's how area school systems will decide whether to cancel classes
Indianapolis Public Schools tell WRTV it will wait until Sunday evening or Monday morning to make its call on when students return to class.
Shovels, scrapers, salt: Hoosiers prepare for incoming snow
As a potential winter storm is expected to make its way through Central Indiana, experts say the time to prepare is now.
How many single-day, double-digit snowfalls have we had in Indianapolis?
How many times have we seen double-digit snowfalls (10" or more) in a single day? The answer may surprise you.
