Ready To Take Action To Protect Life
 STATE REPRESENTATIVE CINDY LEDBETTER
In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the United States at the federal level instead of leaving the question of abortion up to the states. Nearly 50 years later, the Supreme Court could overturn this ruling and if they do – either partially or in its entirety – I, along with many other state legislators, stand ready to take action.
This summer the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization,where the state of Mississippi is challenging Roe v. Wade. I recently signed on to a letter with 99 other state lawmakers to urge the governor to call a special session if Roe v. Wade is overturned, so we can enact legislation to better protect the sanctity of life. The governor would need to call the legislature back because the 2022 session ended in March and the 2023 session isn’t scheduled to begin until January.
Indiana Right to Life estimates an additional 4,000 abortions would occur in the state if the General Assembly waits until the 2023 legislative session to address any changes to Roe v. Wade. If given this opportunity in June, we shouldn’t wait. Needless delays could mean more lives lost
It’s critical we do more to support the unborn and mothers. That’s why this session I supported a new law to make it a felony in Indiana to coerce a woman into having an abortion. The law also holds abortion clinics accountable for failing to report coercion to law enforcement. This is crucial because some pregnant women seeking an abortion are pressured into making this heartbreaking decision by an abusive boyfriend or a human trafficker. According to a 2017 survey of nearly 1,000 women by the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, 75 percent of women who had an abortion said they experienced “at least subtle forms of pressure to terminate their pregnancies.”
Indiana’s pro-life policies are working, leading to a 29 percent decrease in abortions since 2008, but there’s more work to be done. We should always protect the sanctity of life, and a favorable ruling could give us the unique opportunity to do just that.
