BLOOMINGTON — A special judge has granted a motion for a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit against Indiana's new abortion law, effectively blocking its enforcement as the case proceeds.
Judge Kelsey B. Hanlon granted the motion Thursday, siding with several Planned Parenthood chapters who allege Senate Enrolled Act 1 violates the state constitution. It comes exactly one week after the law went into effect.
Hanlon's findings state, in part, that the law "... materially burdens Hoosier women and girls' right to bodily autonomy by making that autonomy largely contingent upon first experiencing extreme sexual violence of significant loss of physical health or death. S.B. 1 also materially burdens the bodily autonomy of Indiana's women and girls by significantly and arbitrarily limiting their access to care ..."
It continues, "... There is reasonable likelihood that this significant restriction of personal autonomy offends the liberty guarantees of the Indiana Constitution and the Plaintiffs will prevail on the merits as to their claim that S.B. 1 violates Article I & 1 of the Indiana Constitution. ...
I just purchased a shirt that says “Abortion is kind of a double edge sword. On one hand I like the idea of dead babies, but in the other hand I hate the idea of woman making decisions.”
Unfortunately not all state constitutions have such provisions protecting bodily autonomy. And if gerrymandering is allowed to continue, then there may be fewer still. We (Dems, libs, indies) need to pay more attention and pour more resources into state-level elections. State legislatures are where the battle is now.