The Indiana Supreme Court has temporarily prevented the enforcement of a statewide abortion ban.
Earlier this year, state legislatures passed a bill that would prohibit abortion at all times during pregnancy. Under the bill, only pregnancies that could potentially result in the death of the mother or were the result of rape or incest would be exempt. In response, the state’s ACLU branch and a group of abortion providers attempted to block enforcement of the ban by filing a lawsuit on August 31. A few weeks later, Special Judge Kelsey B. Hanlon heard arguments regarding the matter and issued an injunction.
“Plaintiffs have also demonstrated that the public has an interest in Hoosiers being able to to make deeply private and personal decisions without undue government intrusion,” Hanlon stated.
Following Hanlon’s decision, the state’s Attorney General Today Rokita requested that the Indiana Supreme Court step in. As a result, the state’s Supreme Court will assume jurisdiction of the case and begin hearing arguments regarding the injunction on January 12, 2023.
“Abortion will remain legal in Indiana while we continue to fight this ban in court. The Indiana Supreme Court will review our case challenging the ban in January. We hope that they ultimately agree with the lower court that the Indiana Constitution ensures that Hoosiers have the right to access abortion. We’ll keep fighting until this ban is blocked for good,” the ACLU of Indiana tweeted.
“We won big from the Indiana Supreme Court! They upheld our injunction blocking Indiana’s abortion ban – we can stay open to provide abortion care at least until the court hearing date of January 12, 2023,” Whole Women’s Health Founder and CEO Amy Hagstrom Miller added.
