Lafayette state senator takes a stand against GOP's abortion bill

State Sen. Ron Alting stands prepared to break with his fellow Republicans in Saturday's vote on the proposed abortion law before the state Senate during this special session.

"This bill is nothing but an attack on women," Alting said Friday morning before heading into caucus and one last attempt to persuade GOP senators to address his — and other Republican senators' — concerns. "I am pro-life, but I also support common sense."

Crafting a law setting a perimeter for abortions in Indiana became the focus of a General Assembly special session after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month ended the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which allowed abortions in every state.

More:Here's how every senator voted on proposal to ban abortion in rape cases

The high court's decision last month does not ban abortions, per se. It sends the issue back to states to craft restrictions or expansions of abortion laws based on each state's legislature.

“What’s in that bill," he said Friday morning, "if you’re below 16 years of age, you only have 12 weeks (to get an abortion), and if you’re older than 16 years of age, it’s eight weeks.”

Alting favors the end of the first trimester as the cutoff for being able to get an abortion.

Some women might not even know they’re pregnant at eight or 12 weeks, Alting said.

Adding to the problem, abortions, according to the proposed bill, can only be performed in a hospital.

“Could you even get it scheduled in that time?" Alting rhetorically asked, noting that a hospital administrator testified that some hospital schedules are so packed that they could not fit in a procedure before the proposed bill's deadline.

The proposed bill carves out exceptions for rape, incest and to preserve the life of the mother, Alting said, but he's bothered by the hoops a woman or girl must jump through to get an abortion if they are raped or a victim of incest.

“Rape or incest, you have to get an affidavit to prove you were raped, and then you have to get it notarized," Alting said, arguing that describing the event in an affidavit and then presenting it to a stranger to notarize forces a rape victim to relive the trauma.

The bill's criminal penalties punish the poor, who are more likely to seek abortions, Alting said, noting that three Indiana counties make up 96% of the state's abortions. Marion County (Indianapolis) account for 74% of the state's abortions.

“If you believe in more government in their lives, then this is a bill you should vote for. Less government is best government," Alting said, reiterating that this bill is an attack on women.

As for his vote on Saturday?

"Absolutely, no," Alting said without hesitation.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette state senator takes a stand against GOP's abortion bill