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INDIANAPOLIS – The full Indiana Senate is set to vote Saturday on a proposed near-total ban on abortion.
The bill bans abortion at all times during pregnancy, except in cases of rape, incest and substantial risk to the mother’s health.
The vote was supposed to happen Friday but was pushed back after debate on amendments continued past midnight Friday morning, lasting more than five hours.
As the debate over abortion continues at the Statehouse, Gov. Eric Holcomb acknowledged Friday it’s hard to predict whether the Indiana House and Senate will be able to agree on new restrictions by the end of the special session.
“I don’t have a crystal ball, I’m not going to go out on that limb,” Holcomb said. “What I’m going to say is this is relevant to the circumstance, but there’s a lot of time left.”
State senators spent more than two hours Thursday night discussing an amendment to remove the rape and incest exceptions from the bill. That measure failed by a vote of 28-18 as Republicans were divided.
“I think it’s just trying to be a good dad and trying to understand the reality of today’s sick, sick world that we live in,” said State Sen. Ron Alting (R-Lafayette), who voted against the amendment.
“I think it’s important for us to not give in and submit the child to a death sentence,” said State Sen. John Crane (R-Brownsburg), who supported the amendment.
Among the changes lawmakers have approved: The Indiana attorney general would be allowed to prosecute violations when the county prosecutor refuses. And the required affidavit for rape and incest survivors would need to be notarized.
Still, both supporters of abortion rights and anti-abortion activists have concerns.
Indiana Right to Life announced Friday it opposes the bill, arguing the mother’s health exception and other provisions leave too many loopholes.
“We did not wait 50 years for the full reversal of Roe vs. Wade for this,” Mike Fichter, president and CEO, said in a statement.
A vote in the full Senate is expected Saturday. If the bill passes in the Senate, it heads to the House for consideration.
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