BREAKING NEWS: Senator Vaneta Becker Remarks To The Indiana Senate Concerning The Elimination Of Abortion Rights

   Senator Vaneta Becker Remarks to the Indiana Senate SB1 Concerning The Elimination of Abortion Rights 

Thank you Madam President and members of the Senate.

I’m Senator Vaneta Becker. A proud lifelong Republican from Southwestern Indiana. I am privileged to serve the citizens of my district for the last 41 years. I am a Republican because of my strong belief in limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the obligation of government to serve, protect, and meet the needs of the people in my district and our State. 

I rise to oppose SB 1 because it violates all of those Republican principles. We know that The purpose of government is to help its people live in safety and happiness. Government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the lawmakers.  

Most of our constituents overwhelmingly object to this proposed legislation. In fact, not one person during the committee process spoke in favor of this legislation. 

And there’s not one Senator in this Chamber today who hasn’t both seen and understood the polls and what the vast majority of Hoosiers want – and most importantly – what they DON’T want. 

Are we protecting our constituents? The numbers say – NO. 

 NOT WHEN: Infant mortality puts us at 47th in the nation. 

 NOT WHEN: Indiana has the third highest rate of maternal deaths. We’re TWICE the national average. 

 NOT WHEN: Our Public health funding is 45th in the country. 

 NOT WHEN: 1 in 3 Hoosier women already have or will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. 

ï‚· NOT WHEN: 1 in 7 sexually assaulted Hoosier women – women who are our Mothers, Sisters and Wives, Children and Grandchildren – will become pregnant as a result of that attack (and that’s just the cases that are reported). 

Compounding what became a personal tragedy played out on our nation’s stage, many immediately attacked the 10-year-old child from Ohio and the Indiana physician who helped her. And…. Still…..the personal and professional attacks on the physician continue to this very day. By the way…Did anyone else notice …….that the physician was a woman? 

So, how ARE we protecting our constituents? Well, As we have seen, we are failing. 

This bill does not make things better. It makes things worse. More women, children, and families will suffer. 

As Senators, those we represent should and do expect us to provide access to quality health care to meet their needs, not remove vital health care from 52% of our people.

Indiana establishes strict, comprehensive criteria for physicians to be able to practice in our communities. A doctor must complete 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, 4 years of residency, and, 3 additional years of training to be qualified as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. A maternal-fetal medicine specialist treats difficult and complicated pregnancies, AND there are only 45 of these specialists in Indiana. This is what WE require of a doctor to be allowed to provide reproductive health care to Hoosiers. And yet, here we sit, 50 Senators (8 women and 42 men) unqualified but arrogantly presuming to interfere and dictate the work of physicians. We are considering dictating medical decisions with blinders on and ignorant of the astounding unintended consequences we are creating while also creating criminal penalties for these same physicians who are serving women and children. 

I ask you and invite you to ask yourselves, ARE WE meeting the medical needs of the people we represent with this proposed bill?  

Are we providing the support families and children need to thrive in our communities? No! We are making a mess! 

Namaste once wrote:   “Everyone is pro-life. Without life, we are not here. So, if you are in favor of your own existence you are pro-life. 

Everyone is pro-choice. If you have free will and you are in favor of your free will; you are pro-choice.” 

All of us are pro-life…we are alive and will fiercely protect our lives! All of us are pro-choice…we all have free will and demand our right to exercise it! Women deserve to have us protect their lives and free will. SB 1 destroys both. Shame on us. 

A friend of mine shared with me this important idea: everything you believe is just that. A belief. It doesn’t make it a fact; it doesn’t mean it’s right; it doesn’t mean it’s the truth. You have free will; belief whatever you want.

But we represent people who expect and deserve us to legislate based on facts. We are asked today to make law based on special interests and some peoples’ religious beliefs…not facts. We are making a mess. 

As The King – Elvis Presley, said,  “Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.” 

Does this proposed legislation reflect limited government or fiscal responsibility? Does this proposed legislation serve, protect or meet the needs of the vast majority of our constituents?

NO! I ask you to vote no on SB 1. Let’s not make a mess.

Thank You 

INDIANA STATE SENATOR VANETA BECKER