Errington reflects on what would have been 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade decision

INDIANAPOLIS – Today, Jan. 22nd, marks what would have been the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision which acknowledged a woman's right to an abortion across the country.

Please attribute the following statement to State Rep. Sue Errington (D-Muncie):

“Roe v. Wade affirmed the bodily autonomy of women, allowing them to take control of their own health care decisions. The federal legalization of abortion reinforced women's rights to privacy and the freedom to take charge of their own lives,” Errington said. “This lifesaving decision was correctly instituted to protect women from unjust medical and legislative barriers.

“Yet, in 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe, leaving women across the nation without necessary medical care and scrambling for answers. This reversal has not stopped abortions, but it has restricted safe abortions. A staggering number of states have outright banned the procedure, forcing women to travel across state lines to receive proper care. Those in Indiana have faced these exact consequences, having to travel to either Illinois, Michigan or Ohio for treatment. That is, if they have the means to travel. Otherwise, Hoosier women are left to their own devices.

“Roe ensured that women nationwide had equal access to abortion care. Now, those protections are lost. This disproportionally affects low-income women who are unable to travel for safe abortion care. In no situation should any woman be forced to carry a child to term and undergo unwanted pregnancy risks because they cannot travel to a state with legalized abortion. The abolishment of Roe is more than a health issue; it's also a clear socioeconomic crisis.

“Protecting abortion rights protects women. The removal of Roe has sent a clear message: Our current Supreme Court does not respect women's fundamental human rights. And unfortunately, Indiana's Republican-led legislature has sent the same message to Hoosiers. With a strict abortion ban in place, our state has acted directly against the will of most Hoosiers and against the well-being of women across the state.

“Indiana Republicans were only able to enact these regressive policies because of Roe's fall. Until federal abortion protections are reinstated, states like Indiana that choose to ban abortion care will continue to see an uptick in unsafe abortions, travel to safe haven states for care and the consequences stemming from women being forced to carry a child to term.”