'Even Abandoned Babies Can't Be Saved...' Indiana Becomes First State to Pass Abortion Ban Amid Conflict

Indiana Passes First 'Abortion Ban Law' Since Roe v. Wade Overturned
'True Conservative' Kansas Surprised by Referendum Result... "Guarantee Maternal Abortion Rights"

On the 5th (local time), abortion rights supporters protest outside just before the Indiana State Senate vote on the abortion ban law. Photo by Reuters, Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] After the so-called 'Roe v. Wade' ruling, which respected women's abortion rights, was overturned, the conservative-leaning state of Indiana became the first to pass an abortion ban law.

According to the Associated Press on the 5th (local time), Republican Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana signed a bill banning most abortions performed in the state. The bill was passed by the Republican-majority bicameral legislature with votes of 62 to 38 in the House and 28 to 19 in the Senate, then approved by the governor, and will take effect on the 15th of next month.

As a result, Indiana became the first state to officially criminalize abortion following the repeal of the 'Roe v. Wade' ruling.

Under current law, Indiana allows abortion up to 20 weeks after conception. However, the revised law deems most abortions illegal except for certain exceptions. Exceptions include △ pregnancies resulting from rape or incest (within 10 weeks after conception) △ when it is necessary to protect the life and health of the mother △ when the fetus has a fatal anomaly.

The Roe v. Wade ruling was a 1973 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that legally recognized women's right to abortion. However, the Supreme Court overturned this ruling last May, effectively nullifying it.

Since then, the 'abortion rights issue' has led to confusion and conflict within American society. In particular, hospitals have been very reluctant to perform abortions due to the risk of punishment as abortion bans take effect, and mothers have protested against this. In Texas, a representative conservative state, cases have emerged where even miscarried fetuses could not be removed from the mother's body, leading to refusal of procedures.

Meanwhile, some conservative-leaning states have shown unexpected behavior. On the 3rd (local time), the New York Times (NYT) and others reported that Kansas submitted a constitutional amendment to remove abortion rights protections from the state constitution to a public vote. According to the current Kansas state constitution, abortion is legal up to 22 weeks of pregnancy following a 2019 state Supreme Court ruling protecting abortion rights.

However, the voting results showed overwhelming opposition. With 42.2% in favor and 58.8% opposed (at 90% of votes counted), residents chose to preserve mothers' abortion rights. This public vote was the first at the state level following the federal Supreme Court's ruling to repeal abortion rights protections in May, with Kentucky, California, and Vermont preparing similar public votes.

The NYT interpreted, "Not only Republicans but also Democrats expected the amendment to pass in this public vote. However, this vote confirmed that abortion rights are considered a value to be protected by the majority of Americans regardless of political affiliation."