Indiana governor signs abortion ban


Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) on Friday signed into law a bill that bans nearly all abortions in the state with no gestational limit. It will take effect on Sept. 15.
The Washington Post notes that, unlike many red states, "Indiana did not have a 'trigger law' on the books that would immediately prohibit abortion" when the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade (1973), ending the constitutional right to an abortion.
The new law includes exceptions for rape, incest, lethal fetal abnormality, or serious health risk to the pregnant woman. The rape and incest exceptions, which were hotly debated among Indiana Republicans, would not require a woman seeking an abortion to file a police report.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In a statement, Holcomb struck a conciliatory note, praising the bill's "carefully negotiated exceptions" and promising an "open ear" to pro-choice Hoosiers. He also touted the legislation's "nearly $100 million in long overdue increased funding to support the health of our Hoosier mothers and babies." Indiana has the third highest maternal mortality rate in the country.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
How do new stadiums affect football clubs?
In the Spotlight Everton's decision to move its men's team out of Goodison Park could be a catalyst for vital change, but there are cautionary tales too
-
Quiz of The Week: 10 – 16 May
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Why is cheese so bad for the environment?
Podcast Plus, will weight-loss drugs cut cancer rates? And what's behind a rise in 'sextortion' cases?
-
ABC News to pay $15M in Trump defamation suit
Speed Read The lawsuit stemmed from George Stephanopoulos' on-air assertion that Trump was found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments law
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
-
Abortions rise to record level 'due to cost of living'
Speed Read Low-income women face 'heart-breaking' choice, warns abortion charity chief
-
Italian senate passes law allowing anti-abortion activists into clinics
Under The Radar Giorgia Meloni scores a political 'victory' but will it make much difference in practice?
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence