INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana on Friday became the first state post-Roe v. Wade to pass a bill that places sweeping restrictions on abortion and puts in place a near-total ban on the procedure, according to reports.
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill into law after the Republican-dominated state Senate approved the legislation in a 28-19 vote, The Washington Post reported. The new law only allows abortion in cases of rape, incest, lethal fetal abnormality or when the procedure is necessary to prevent severe health risks or death.
The law goes into effect on Sept. 15.
“I am personally most proud of each Hoosier who came forward to courageously share their views in a debate that is unlikely to cease any time soon,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said in the statement announcing that he had signed the measure. “For my part as your governor, I will continue to keep an open ear.”
Unlike many states, Indiana did not have a trigger law that went into effect when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June, ending almost a half-century of federal protection of women’s reproductive rights, the Post reported. Previously, the procedure was legal for up to 22 weeks.
The bill’s passage also follows a political firestorm over a 10-year-old rape victim who traveled to the state from neighboring Ohio to end her pregnancy. The case gained attention when an Indianapolis doctor said the child came to Indiana because of Ohio’s “fetal heartbeat” ban.
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Under the bill, abortions can be performed only in hospitals or outpatient centers owned by hospitals, meaning all abortion clinics would lose their licenses. A doctor who performs an illegal abortion or fails to file required reports must also lose their medical license — wording that tightens current Indiana law that says a doctor “may” lose their license.
Outside the chambers, abortion-rights activists often chanted over lawmakers’ remarks, carrying signs like “Roe roe roe your vote” and “Build this wall” between church and state. Some House Democrats wore blazers over pink “Bans Off Our Bodies” T-shirts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read More: Indiana Passes Near-Total Ban On Abortion, First Since Roe’s Fall