By Dave Andrusko
On April 29, Indiana became the 13th state to pass law requiring that women undergoing chemical abortions be informed they may be able to save their baby if they change their mind—the Abortion Pill Reversal protocol. HB 1577 passed overwhelmingly in the Indiana House (62-25) and Senate (36-14) along party lines.
Guess what? Planned Parenthood is not happy and is said to be planning a legal challenge. (The law takes effect July 1.)
Local reporter Dan Carden offered a snapshot into their thinking. Odds are, like an old Polaroid, when their plans develop, we can be confident the picture will show Planned Parenthood heading to court.
Here is just some of the over-the-top rhetoric taken from Carden’s story.
“Gov. Holcomb showed his cowardice by failing to veto an ideologically driven bill that peddles junk science and harms the people of Indiana,” said LaKimba DeSadier, Indiana state director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates. “It is unconstitutional, and the people of Indiana won’t forget, which is why we intend to take legal action.”
Chimed in Alexis McGill Johnson, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, “Patients should be able to trust the information their doctors provide to them and know it is rooted in science, not political motives. Planned Parenthood stands on the side of truth and patients. ”
National Right to Life, in stark contrast, congratulated Indiana pro-lifers.
“NRLC applauds the efforts of Governor Eric Holcomb, the pro-life legislators, and Indiana Right to Life for their relentless pursuit of saving as many unborn babies as possible by enacting live-saving abortion pill reversal law that will provide mothers with a second chance at life for their babies,” said Ingrid Duran, NRLC Director of State Legislation.
When Gov. Holcomb signed HB1577 last week, Indiana became the second state in less than a week to pass an informed consent law that requires abortionists to inform women undergoing chemical abortions that it may be possible to reverse the abortion using Abortion Pill Reversal.
Chemical (or “medication”) abortions is a two-step process. APR requires that the woman not take the second drug (misoprostol) and instead take progesterone in an attempt to neutralize the impact of the first drug (mifepristone). Over 2,000 babies have been saved to date, according to Heartbeat International.
In 2019, of the approximately 7,600 abortions performed in Indiana, chemical abortions accounted for 44%.
During debate, bill sponsor state Rep. Peggy Mayfield said, “What we want to do is just provide the women with the information so you don’t have to Google it, because it is very time sensitive that you have this information.”
Indiana Right to Life explained that in addition to information about Abortion Pill Reversal, there is much more to the new law.
Another provision of HB 1577 includes a requirement that women receiving state-required informed consent counseling, at least 18-hours prior to an abortion, and be given a photo of their baby’s ultrasound. In addition, a copy of the photo must be attached to her file so that state inspectors can verify the required ultrasound was performed.
HB 1577 also ties an abortion clinic’s health and safety reporting to the state’s licensing process, preventing clinics with open inspection violations from receiving rubber stamp approval for licensing renewal.
The bill also requires that any parental signatures for a minor’s abortion must be notarized as an additional step to help prevent falsification of parental signatures.
In addition, conscience protections are extended to mental health workers to protect them from being forced to facilitate or counsel for abortions, if such individuals object on ethical, moral or religious grounds