INDIANAPOLIS (AP) 鈥� Leaders of Indiana鈥檚 Republican-dominated Senate on Wednesday proposed banning abortion with limited exceptions 鈥� a move that comes amid a political firestorm over a who came to the state from neighboring Ohio to end her pregnancy.
The proposal will be taken up during a special legislative session that is scheduled to begin Monday, making Indiana one of the first Republican-run states to debate tighter abortion laws following the U.S. Supreme Court decision last month . The Supreme Court ruling is expected to in roughly half the states.
The Indiana proposal would allow exceptions to the ban, such as in cases of rape, incest or to protect a woman鈥檚 life.
Republican state Sen. Sue Glick, who is sponsoring the bill, said the proposal would not limit access to emergency contraception known as the morning-after pill or limit doctors from treating miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies.
The bill would prohibit abortions from the time an egg is implanted in a woman's uterus.
鈥淏eing pro-life is not about criminalizing women,鈥� Glick said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about preserving the dignity of life and helping mothers bring new happy, healthy babies in the world.鈥�
Planned Parenthood鈥檚 Indiana affiliate criticized the bill, saying in a news release that 鈥渁 complete ban on abortion is on its way to Indiana.鈥�
鈥淓ven the bill鈥檚 limited exemptions would leave providers risking investigations, and even criminalization, making them exceptions in name only,鈥� said the organization, which operates four abortion clinics in the state.
Ohio鈥檚 so-called fetal heartbeat law, which can be detected 鈥� typically in around the sixth week of pregnancy 鈥� led the 10-year-old rape victim to go to Indiana to get a medication-induced abortion on June 30, .
Indiana Republicans have pushed through numerous anti-abortion laws over the past decade and the supporting a special session to further tighten those laws. But legislative leaders and Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb had been over whether they would push for a full abortion ban or allow exceptions.
The proposal unveiled Wednesday faces at least a couple of weeks of debate. Republican House Speaker Todd Huston didn't endorse the bill, saying in a statement that, 鈥淥ur caucus will take time to review and consider the details of the Senate bill, and continue to listen to thoughts and input from constituents across the state.鈥�
Current Indiana law generally prohibits abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy and tightly restricts it after the 13th week. Nearly 99% of abortions in the state last year took place at 13 weeks or earlier, according to a state Health Department report.
Elsewhere Wednesday, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and said Georgia鈥檚 restrictive 2019 abortion law should be allowed to take effect. The law bans most abortions once a 鈥渄etectable human heartbeat鈥� is present, though it does include some limited exceptions.
The appeals court also rejected arguments that a 鈥減ersonhood鈥� provision in the law is unconstitutionally vague. The provision grants a fetus the same legal rights that people have after they're born.
In Michigan, meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday proposal that would have sent nearly $20 million in state funding to anti-abortion causes, including groups that run 鈥減regnancy resource centers鈥� focused on persuading pregnant women to give birth.
Before Indiana lawmakers announced their proposal, the leader of the state鈥檚 most prominent anti-abortion group told reporters that the group would pressure legislators to advance a bill 鈥渢hat affirms the value of all life including unborn children鈥� while not taking questions on whether any exceptions would be acceptable.
Indiana Right to Life President Mike Fichter said the vast majority of Indiana lawmakers have 鈥渃ampaigned as pro-life, they鈥檝e run multiple election cycles as being pro-life.鈥�
鈥淭his is not the time when legislators should be drafting legislation that would appear that Roe versus Wade is still in place,鈥� Fichter said. 鈥淩oe is no longer in place. The Roe shield is no longer there.鈥�
The state鈥檚 debate comes as an Indiana doctor has been at the after speaking out about the 10-year-old Ohio rape victim.
in Columbus, Ohio, last week with raping the girl, confirming the existence of a case that was initially met with skepticism by some media outlets and Republican politicians. The pushback grew after Democratic President Joe Biden during the signing of an executive order aimed at protecting some abortion access.
Indiana Republicans have passed several laws on social issues in recent years that made headlines. In May, they overrode a veto by Holcomb of a bill that from participating in school sports that match their gender identity.
That came seven years after over a religious objections law signed by then-Gov. Mike Pence that opponents maintained could be used to discriminate against gays and lesbians. The Republican-dominated Legislature quickly made revisions blocking its use as a legal defense for refusing to provide services and preventing the law from overriding local ordinances with LGBTQ protections.
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Associated Press writer Kate Brumback in Atlanta and AP/Report for America writer Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, contributed to this report.
Tom Davies, The Associated Press
