Judge blocks Indiana’s near-total abortion ban
By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN
A state judge on Thursday blocked an Indiana law banning abortion at all stages of pregnancy with limited exceptions from being enforced, a week after it went into effect.
The court order allows for abortions up to 20 weeks after fertilization (or 22 weeks after the mother’s last menstrual period) to resume in Indiana.
The abortion ban, SB 1, which was passed over the summer during a special session, took effect on September 15.
Indiana abortion providers and a nonprofit that operates a pregnancy resource center in the state filed their lawsuit last month, seeking to block the law from taking effect.
The special judge in the case, Judge Kelsey Hanlon, declined on September 15 to issue a temporary restraining order pending a hearing on plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction.
On Thursday, Hanlon granted plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction while their lawsuit continues.
SB 1 bans abortion with exceptions to save the woman’s life, prevent any serious health risk to the woman and for lethal fetal anomalies, up to 20 weeks post-fertilization.
It also allows exceptions for some abortions if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest during the first 10 weeks post-fertilization.
Under the law, abortion clinics are no longer state-licensed facilities and cannot provide abortions. The law requires all abortions be performed in a licensed hospital or an ambulatory outpatient surgical center majority owned by a licensed hospital.
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