Praise and anger: Evansville area split amid Supreme Court's reversal of abortion law

Lauren Craddock, Evansville Courier & Press
·3 min read
People protest about abortion, Friday, June 24, 2022, outside the Supreme Court in Washington. The Supreme Court has ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place for nearly 50 years. The in a decision by its conservative majority to overturn Roe v. Wade.
People protest about abortion, Friday, June 24, 2022, outside the Supreme Court in Washington. The Supreme Court has ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place for nearly 50 years. The in a decision by its conservative majority to overturn Roe v. Wade.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The reactions in the Evansville area ran the gamut from praise to anger and fear after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday.

The 6-3 decision upended the nearly five-decades-old case that had protected access to abortion under federal law.

It's now left up to the states, and Indiana is one of many expected to ban or severely limit the procedure in the coming weeks. A special session of the Indiana Legislature is scheduled to begin July 6.

More on Roe v. Wade: Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating constitutional right to abortion

"Roe is Gone!!!!!!! Praise the Lord! Thank you, Jesus!!!!" Right to Life of Southwest Indiana posted on its Facebook page minutes after the decision.

Meanwhile, the group Evansville Organized Abortion Rights began planning for a protest. The group last gathered in Downtown Evansville in May, after a draft of the court's ruling leaked to the media.

"Nothing is finalized yet," said Elizabeth Bowers, who organized the previous protest. "But I want to do one during the week at the Civic Center so that Indiana lawmakers can’t ignore us."

'Time to get in people's faces': Hundreds rally to support abortion rights in Evansville

Anti-abortion protesters gather outside the Supreme Court in Washington on Friday, June 24, 2022. The Supreme Court has ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years, a decision by its conservative majority to overturn the court's landmark abortion cases.
Anti-abortion protesters gather outside the Supreme Court in Washington on Friday, June 24, 2022. The Supreme Court has ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years, a decision by its conservative majority to overturn the court's landmark abortion cases.

A rally organized by a different group is planned for 5:30 p.m. Friday. Protesters will start at the old Vanderburgh County Courthouse downtown and march to the Winfield K. Denton Federal Building on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Another rally is already planned at the Indiana Statehouse for Saturday at 10 a.m. CDT.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, an organization that researches sexual and reproductive health, at least 26 states either have so-called "trigger laws" in place to immediately ban abortion following the reversal of Roe, or are considered likely to institute bans.

Indiana falls in the "likely" category, and Kentucky has a trigger law.

Related: Indiana poised to limit abortion access after Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade

While some Evansville residents are against the decision, others see it as a victory.

U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon and U.S. Sens. Todd Young and Mike Braun, all Republicans, praised the court's decision, as did Diocese of Evansville Bishop Joseph Siegel and City Councilor Justin Elpers, who is running to be one of three Vanderburgh County Commissioners this fall.

Indiana House Democratic Caucus Chair Terri Austin and House Floor Leader Cherrish Pryor, meanwhile, condemned the ruling in a joint statement and called for the state to protect women's reproductive choices and health.

Pete Emery of Evansville is an active supporter of anti-abortion organizations on both the local and national level. He says he is hopeful that Indiana will ban or extensively limit access to abortion.

“I think the sanctity of life is missed with the Roe v. Wade permission at a national level for abortion,” he said. “If Indiana was to move in the direction of limiting abortions to very early in pregnancy, I think it would be a major improvement."

Olwen Menez, a student at the Indiana University School of Medicine and an advocate for abortion rights, feels differently. She's concerned about what the decision could mean for the nation’s youth.

Before Roe and after Roe: Two women tell their abortion stories. They're very different

“(I’m worried about) the vast numbers (of children) that are going to be neglected, abused and put in horrible situations. …People are going to be forced to be parents and I think as a future pediatrician (I'm) going to see that impact in a couple of years and it’s going to be really, really sad and really straining on a system that’s already very overwhelmed,” said Menez.

And although several Republican lawmakers, such as local state representatives Wendy McNamara and Tim O'Brien, favor Indiana following the Supreme Court's decision, Bowers is holding onto some optimism.

"I’m hopeful that Indiana will protect our rights and access to healthcare instead of protecting their own pockets," Bowers said. "We voted them in and we can vote them out."

Contact Lauren Craddock at lauren.craddock@courierpress.com or on Twitter @LaurenECraddock

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville area split amid Supreme Court's reversal of abortion law