State Rep. Chris Campbell’s remarks on Republican abortion ban final vote
INDIANAPOLIS – Today, Rep. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette) delivered the remarks below to the House of Representatives before their vote on SB 1(ss), Republicans' abortion ban bill:
When I made the decision to become a legislator, I did it because I wanted to help thepeople of our state. I wanted to pass laws that would make life better, to give aid to those who needed it. I wanted to uphold democracy and defend the rights of all Hoosiers.
Never did I think that I would witness the downfall of our state because of inflammatory cultural wars and the passing of legislation that will harm hundreds of thousands of women. The rights of innocent Hoosiers are being ripped away with this ban.
Let’s not be coy – an abortion ban is going to kill women. It will fall on the most marginalized of Hoosiers; the poor, women of color, victims of domestic abuse, survivors of rape, incest, and those without support systems. Women will be forced to give birth against their will. Children will be born into poverty-stricken homes, raised in households that can’t provide them with the care and attention they deserve, or pushed into our already underfunded and overcrowded foster care systems. Because of the lack of provisions this legislation has in preventing unwanted pregnancies, including expanding access to contraceptives and prenatal and postpartum care, the endless cycle of coercing women and children into these harmful situations will continue. This bill is an instrument of trauma and pain on those who are already suffering.
No one plans on having an abortion. It is a personal and emotional decision that should be made by only a woman, her family, her faith and her doctor. We should trust Hoosiers and medical professionals to make decisions that are best for their respective situations.
Instead, this legislature has breached that privacy. This bill is a massive overstep of government interference coming from a party that claims to want minimal government interference on personal matters. The passing of an abortion ban signals a dark future for any of us who believe a free society.
To my colleagues across the aisle– all we are asking of you is to trust women. Trust the countless women who have come before our legislature to testify against this bill. Trust the doctors who have warned us of the horrible consequences an abortion ban will have
on Indiana. Trust the survivors of sexual assault who knew that ending an unwanted pregnancy was the only way they could reclaim the lives they had lost. Trust the 10-year-old girl who was raped by a trusted family member and saw Indiana as a safe haven to access
the care she needed. Trust that all of them knew what was best for their futures and for their bodies.
There is still a chance for us to stop this violence against women and work to make our state a better place for women, children, and families. For the sake of freedom and bodily autonomy in Indiana, I am asking you to join me in voting against this despicable bill.