Indiana poised to ban abortions due to fetal defects

Lawmakers on Wednesday approved the measure banning such abortions over the objections of many female legislators, including Republicans who say the bill goes too far and wasn’t vetted enough before receiving approval in the House. In a statement, a Pence spokeswoman said the conservative Republican is “a strong supporter of the right to life” and said he will “give this legislation thoughtful consideration once it reaches his desk.”

The measure would also allow doctors who perform abortions in such cases to be sued for wrongful death.

“Those unborn children are Hoosiers and they have constitutional rights,” House Speaker Brian Bosma said after the vote. “We’re not making a determination about women’s’ health. We are trying to protect the right of the unborn they cannot speak for themselves.”

But critics say the measure would require pregnant women to endure complicated pregnancies that pose a danger to their health and would lead women to not speak candidly with their doctors.

“The bill does nothing to save innocent lives. There’s no education, there’s no funding. It’s just penalties,” said Rep. Sharon Negele, an Attica Republican who last year sponsored an anti-abortion bill that would have imposed tougher restrictions for a Planned Parenthood clinic.

North Dakota is the only state to ban abortions sought because of genetic fetal abnormalities, although similar measures have been debated in other states, including Ohio.

Critics in Indiana question whether the measure is constitutional, and even Bosma said he expects a court challenge if Pence signs the bill into law.

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