Indiana leaders, organizations react to Supreme Court ruling on state's near-total abortion ban

“The Indiana Supreme Court has just upheld the abortion laws passed by the Indiana General Assembly. We celebrate this day – one long in coming, but morally justified. Thank you to all the warriors who have fought for this day that upholds LIFE.”

“This is a tremendously sad day for Hoosiers, but House Democrats will continue to fight for the fundamental right of women and girls to control their own destinies. Throughout the course of the 2022 special session, we heard countless women testify that access to abortion allowed them to do the right thing for themselves and their families. Abortion is a serious and emotional matter, and I believe firmly that it is an issue best left to a woman and her doctor, not politicians. The Indiana Republican abortion ban won’t stop abortions, it will simply ban access to safe abortions. Hoosiers don’t want this future for Hoosier women and girls.

“While today’s decision is disheartening, the fight to secure access to safe and legal reproductive healthcare has just begun. With the Republican’s near-total abortion ban now in effect, we will soon see the full scope of the devastation it will bring to Hoosier women and families. The House Democratic Caucus will continue to fight to reinstate a woman’s right to own her own body.”

"This ruling is a bad decision that upholds terrible policy, and Indiana women will be less safe as a result. Full access to reproductive healthcare should be a fundamental right and Hoosier women deserve the autonomy to make these personal decisions with their doctors. Just as I fought against these changes in state law, I will continue to fight at the Statehouse for the restoration of full reproductive healthcare in Indianapolis."

“We are devastated by the Indiana Supreme Court’s ruling today which will deprive more than 1.5 million people in Indiana— particularly Black, Latino, and Indigenous people, people with low incomes, and LGBTQ+ people, who already face the most challenges when seeking medical care — of life-saving, essential health care. Now, patients will be forced either to flee the state to access abortion if they have the means, seek abortion outside of the health care system, or carry pregnancies against their will with profound medical risk and life-altering consequences. Despite this setback, we’ll keep fighting to restore reproductive rights in Indiana and to help Hooisers get access to the services they need. Today’s decision is not the end of our fight for equitable, compassionate care in Indiana, or the patients in surrounding states who rely on Indiana for access to abortion.”

"Indiana’s ban on abortions strips women of their bodily autonomy and needlessly criminalizes the provision of safe medical care. At a time when law enforcement should be focused on violent crime, this law - which has zero nexus to public safety - encourages unnecessary, intrusive, and unjust investigations targeting private healthcare decisions."

“Today, my heart is with the women who bravely shared their stories last summer, highlighting the crucial need for abortion access in our state, as well as every woman and girl in Indiana who have now been told that they have no authority over their own bodies. Abortion is health care, plain and simple, and this decision will cost women – disproportionally Black women, women from low-income households and women facing domestic violence – their long-term health, and in some tragic cases, their lives.

“As we take time to mourn this loss of human rights in Indiana, the House Democratic Caucus will continue to fight for women and girls in Indiana to maintain autonomy over their bodies and health care.”

"This is big victory in the fight to protect the life of unborn babies, and to protect pregnant mothers from the often lifelong trauma of abortion. This case is also a victory in that Indiana was the first state to pass prolife legislation since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, making it clear there was never a right to abortion established in the U.S. Constitution. Now the work ahead is to ensure that we, as loving and compassionate Hoosiers, provide the support that pregnant mothers and their babies need to thrive and succeed."

“I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the Indiana Supreme Court’s ruling and the real damage that will follow the enactment of SEA 1. This abortion ban will inevitably cause damage in all Indiana communities, but the most severe consequences of this law will fall on low-income Hoosiers, Hoosiers of color and other marginalized communities. Everyone should be able to determine their own future and have access to comprehensive healthcare. The rights to life, liberty and privacy should not be bound by gender, skin color or ZIP code—they should be guaranteed to all citizens. The right to an abortion is always guaranteed to Hoosier women with the time, money and connections to seek care outside of the confines of Indiana law. There is no court, no law that can ban abortions—they can only ban the safe administration of abortions and send desperate women to unsafe, underground providers. Abortion laws simply aren’t pro-life—they are only pro-birth.

“As a Black mother, I understand the unique fear of being pregnant in Indiana, where Black women die at nearly double the already-high rate of white women. I’ve always hoped my daughters would have a better future and more rights than I do—this ruling is a major setback for that dream, for Hoosier women and for our state at large. I will fight tirelessly for every Hoosier to be guaranteed bodily autonomy and full access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare.”