One week after a federal judge put new abortion restrictions passed by the legislature on hold in another case, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU filed another lawsuit challenging the law that requires women seeking an abortion to get an ultrasound 18 hours before the procedure takes place.
Advertisement
Prior to House Enrolled Act 1337 taking effect July 1, a mandatory ultrasound typically was performed as part of the abortion procedure, while women would receive state-directed “informed consent” material at least 18 hours earlier at one of 23 Indiana Planned Parenthood health centers. All clinics were operated by the same person, and were found to be violating several of those state laws, including the ultrasound provision. “Make no mistake about it, this IN law is just another example of an unnecessary restriction that is blatantly unconstitutional”.
The decision came a day after the court ruled similar Texas regulations are medically unnecessary and unconstitutionally limit a woman’s right to abortion.
The complaint, which seeks a preliminary injunction to block the ultrasound requirement, contends the new ultrasound provision will force many women “to make two lengthy trips to obtain an abortion or pay for an overnight stay”. Planned Parenthood says in the lawsuit it operates 23 health centers around in that provide health services for men and women, but provides surgical abortions in only three locations and medication abortions in one. “This law, therefore, is an unconstitutional undue burden on abortion access”.
The suit names as defendants Indiana’s state health commissioner and the prosecutors of Marion, Lake, Monroe and Tippecanoe counties – where Planned Parenthood offers abortion services at clinics in Indianapolis, Merrillville, Bloomington and Lafayette. Now, that’s not a possibility unless the organization installs expensive ultrasound equipment at that health clinic, meaning women who don’t live in a city with a PPINK clinic that performs abortions nearly certainly will have a tougher time obtaining an abortion. Those restrictions would have banned abortions sought because of genetic abnormalities and mandated that an aborted fetus be buried or cremated.
Indiana’s new ultrasound requirement “adds no value in a state already fraught with hard and unnecessary regulations regarding a truly safe and legal procedure”, Betty Cockrum, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of in and Kentucky, said in a statement.
Advertisement
Planned Parenthood is challenging another IN abortion law. “The 18-hour requirement is unduly burdensome and adds no value in a state already fraught with hard and unnecessary regulations regarding a truly safe and legal procedure”.
