Bloomington senator, representatives' responses to Indiana abortion bill vary

Indiana’s Senate bill banning nearly all abortion is heading to the House of Representatives after it narrowly passed the Senate this past weekend.

The bill passed 26-20 — with the fewest number of yes votes needed — despite some Senate Republicans saying it restricts abortion too much and others saying it doesn’t restrict abortion enough. All Senate Democrats voted no.

The bill bans all abortion except in cases of rape, incest or when the pregnant person’s life is at risk. Rape and incest exceptions are only allowed for the first 12 weeks for those 15 or younger and the first eight weeks for those 16 or older. Any other abortions are considered a Level 5 felony.

If the bill becomes law, Indiana will be one of the first states in the country to pass new abortion restrictions since the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

As expected, Bloomington’s representatives have differing views on the bill, access to abortion and how far that access should reach.

State Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, said she felt despair as she watched the bill pass the Senate.

Yoder said she’s heard from hundreds of people — men, women, girls, boys and nonbinary people — in opposition of abortion restrictions.

She said she feels particularly afraid for people who become pregnant through rape or incest, who will have to sign an affidavit and have it notarized.

“What this piece of legislation is doing is retraumatizing. It is saying, on its face, we don’t trust you,” she said. “We’re not even going to respect you enough to give you time to process this horrific act of violence that you have been a victim to.”

Yoder also acknowledged an abortion ban will disproportionately affect pregnant people of color and low-income people.

She anticipates the bill will pass the House sooner than later, although lawmakers have until Aug. 14 to adjourn their session. The bill will be heard in committee in the House chamber beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Yoder recommended anyone opposing the bill who can get to the Statehouse Tuesday to testify should do so, and those who can’t should call their representatives and encourage as many people as they can to register to vote.

“I don’t see this bill getting better, it’s only going to get worse,” she said. “The only way we are going to get to the other side is to organize, mobilize and change the makeup of the Indiana General Assembly.”

State Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, is on the House's courts and criminal code committee, which will discuss the bill Tuesday. Pierce said the bill as it stands will endanger the health and lives of women across Indiana, and that he opposes any legislation that strips anyone of their bodily autonomy.

State Rep. Jeff Ellington, R-Bloomington, said he has not yet read the full language of the bill but is leaning toward voting against it unless it no longer excludes cases of rape and incest.

“I am pro-life except for the life of the mother,” he said, “and the bill doesn’t stand that way right now.”

Ellington said he is sticking to his principles regarding abortion, which were last outlined in a 2020 Right to Life survey before he was re-elected. The survey asked 88 Indiana candidates their stances on several issues, including under what circumstances abortion should be legal.

Ellington, among 22 other candidates, responded abortion should only be legal when life of the mother is at risk. No candidates responded to only exclude rape and incest, and 10 responded to exclude in cases of rape, incest and life of the mother.

Twenty-three candidates, including state Rep. Peggy Mayfield, R-Martinsville, said abortion should never be legal.

Mayfield and state Rep. Chris May, R-Bedford, did not respond to request for comment in time for publication.

Sen. Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, and Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, voted in support of the bill. The IndyStar compiled a list of how every senator voted on the bill.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington leaders' responses to SB 1, Indiana's abortion bill, vary