An Indiana Senate committee voted to add criminal penalties to the bill that would ban most abortions, after severe backlash to the bill from anti-abortion groups who thought it didn’t go far enough to restrict abortion, The Indianapolis Star reported.
Under the amended bill, doctors who perform an abortion—except for in cases of rape, incest, the protection of the life of the mother or fatal fetal abnormalities—could face one to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The Senate Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee also limited at what point in someone’s pregnancy someone can seek an abortion in cases of rape and incest. Pregnant people who are 15 years old and younger could receive an abortion up to 12 weeks after fertilization. Those 16 years and older could only obtain an abortion up to eight weeks after fertilization.
The committee passed the amendment by a seven-to-five vote, with only Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper, joining Democrats to reject the amendment. Messmer said he voted no because no one who testified supported the bill, and every anti-abortion organization who contacted him told him to vote against it.
The bill could still be amended in the full Senate on Thursday, July 28, and pass out of the full Senate chamber as soon as Friday, July 29.
The full article is at http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2022/07/26/indiana-senators-add-criminal-penalties-to-state-abortion-ban/65380278007/.