Indiana Republicans are pursuing legislation to ban abortions in the state except in cases of rape, incest or to protect the life of a mother. GOP leaders also announced economic packages to invest in Hoosier women and babies.
Leaders of Indiana’s Republican-dominated Senate were set to reveal Wednesday how aggressive they want a special legislative session to go in restricting abortions as the state has drawn attention over a 10-year-old who came from Ohio to get an abortion.
In the state of Indiana, if an individual commits the act of child molesting before their 18th birthday but charges aren’t filed until after they turn 21, the offender is essentially off the hook. According to the state’s highest court, there’s a “jurisdictional gap” in the law making that possible.
The terms “reconciliation agreement,” “postnuptial agreement,” “postmarital agreement,” “separation agreement,” “marital agreement” and “settlement agreement” have been the subject of considerable Indiana appellate court commentary without legislative guidance.
With a little more than a week left before the Republican-dominated Indiana Legislature convenes for a special session, not much is known about what its abortion-related legislation will look like, or exactly how soon bills will be filed.
Dozens of Republicans who back pro-life issues refused to comment on a possible Indiana abortion ban, leaving a key Right to Life attorney’s proposal as the primary discussion point in the Indiana General Assembly.
Indiana House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, joined lawmakers from Florida, South Dakota, Nebraska and Montana for a discussion with Vice President Kamala Harris about abortion, which she called “one of the most challenging and troubling issues of the day.”
A multiweek special legislative session to consider tax refunds and new abortion restrictions is expected to cost Indiana taxpayers at least $280,000 in additional compensation to the state’s 150 lawmakers.
Indiana’s abortion laws will likely be tightened even before the Legislature is expected to start debating additional abortion restrictions later this month.
While Indiana House and Senate Democrats met at the Statehouse on Wednesday — the technical start date of a special session meant for discussions about Hoosier economic relief and abortion — a swarm of pro-choice protestors gathered on the building’s steps.
The weeks between now and the start of the Indiana Legislature’s special session might be the calm before the storm. With the U.S. Supreme Court sending abortion decisions back to the states, Indiana Republican leadership expanded the agenda for the special session from tax relief to also include the crafting of a new abortion law.
Gov. Eric Holcomb said Wednesday he is calling lawmakers back to the Indiana Statehouse on July 6 to consider his plan to send $1 billion in refunds to Indiana taxpayers.
Following is the complete list of legislation enacted during the 2022 legislative session. Bills take effect July 1 unless otherwise noted.
Within Senate Enrolled Act 388, the words “food” and “national security” do not appear. Yet the new law that prohibits foreign businesses from buying and owning Hoosier farmland places Indiana among the states that have enacted such statutes to ensure Americans have enough to eat.
Gov. Eric Holcomb announced a plan on Thursday to call a special legislative session at the end of June and propose that $1 billion in state reserves be returned to Indiana taxpayers.
In what is being called “the right decision,” the Indiana Supreme Court has overturned the law that allowed the Legislature to call itself into a special session. However, the debate over whether the governor should have the exclusive power to convene the General Assembly when the legislators are out of session might not be settled.
A unanimous Indiana Supreme Court has found HEA 1123, the controversial law allowing the Legislature to call itself into special session, violates the state’s constitution, handing Gov. Eric Holcomb a victory in a fight with the legislators that was ignited by the restrictions implemented during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the Legislative Council rejected a request to study the topic of providing attorneys to children in the child welfare system, Indiana state Sen. Jon Ford plans to keep pushing the matter by convening an independent study group to examine the issue.
As Indiana Republican leaders say they continue to support a special session to consider further restricting abortion access in the Hoosier State should the U.S. Supreme Court overrun Roe v. Wade, one legislator said the women in the Indiana General Assembly could have a significant impact on any resulting laws.
Indiana’s governor said Wednesday he was preparing a plan to potentially tap into the growing state budget surplus to help residents with the national inflation jump, while rejecting calls for suspending state gas taxes.