Shackleford, IBLC decry ‘dangerous and deadly’ abortion ban

INDIANAPOLIS – Today, Indiana's near-total abortion ban takes effect. Senate Bill 1, which was passed solely by the Republican supermajority, offers narrow exceptions for victims of rape and incest and to protect the life of the mother. State Rep. Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis), chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC), issued the following statement:

“Today is a sad day. With Senate Bill 1 enacted, Hoosier women of reproductive age now have less rights than their mothers did. The freedom to choose if and when to have a baby is one of the most sacred rights a woman has to decide her own destiny. We cannot understate the disproportionate impacts this dangerous and deadly legislation will have on women, especially Black women and women of color in Indiana. Black women in our state already face much higher rates of maternal mortality, and Senate Bill 1 will force women to risk their lives to carry a pregnancy to term. In the months to come, we'll hear tragic stories about women who died because they couldn't access a safe and legal abortion, doctors who have to turn patients away because they aren't deemed sick enough to require an abortion, and stories of women who not only lost wanted pregnancies, but were left infertile due to medical complications that could not be addressed in a timely fashion due to the restrictions in this legislation. This isn't a 'pro-life' bill, this is a cruel and dangerous piece of legislation that will have dire consequences for so many Hoosier women.”