Hamilton offers amendment to restore access to reproductive health care

Today, State Rep. Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis) offered an amendment to Senate Joint Resolution 21 that would codify the protections of Roe v. Wade in the United States Constitution. The amendment failed by a vote of 26-56. 

Hamilton released the following statement upon the defeat of the amendment: 

“Today, I offered an amendment to restore comprehensive reproductive health care for women and girls. Two and a half years after Indiana passed a near-total abortion ban, we now know that this is hurting women, families and our state. We also know that 64% of Hoosiers support access to abortion. I offered this amendment on behalf of the majority of the state that supports this measure, and for all of the Hoosiers who fear for their own health or that of their daughters, granddaughters or any woman in their life. 

“I have been in contact with a mother from Hamilton County who recently faced the consequences of Indiana’s abortion ban. When she was told that her baby had a fatal fetal anomaly and would die minutes after being brought into the world, she, her husband, and her three sons were devastated. While having to come to terms with the fact that she would have to end a pregnancy that she desperately wanted, she had to fill out 13 pages of legal paperwork required by the state. 

“To have this medically necessary procedure and allow her baby peace, she had to provide her name, birthday, social security number, age, gender, race, address, level of education, pregnancy history, marital status, religion, cause of death, and occupation. Her husband only had to provide his name. She will be on a registry for the rest of her life. She had to sign a paper stating if this was found ‘unnecessary’ she would be charged with a felony. Not her husband.

“This ban is not family friendly. It is hurting Hoosiers. It is hurting our economy. It is hurting the future of our state. I will continue to do everything in my power to restore access to life-saving health care and privacy to Hoosier women and girls.”