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This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, September 15th, 2022.
Later in the program, the Indiana abortion ban goes into effect today. More coverage on the near total ban on abortion in today’s Statehouse Roundup.
In today’s installment of Voices in the Street, public opinion polls in the streets of Bloomington, WFHB’s Youth Radio attended Bloomington’s 9th annual Pridefest to interview local residents. More in the bottom half of our show.
The Statehouse Roundup
The Indiana abortion ban went into effect on Thursday consisting of very narrow exceptions including in cases of medical emergencies, incest and rape.
This makes Indiana the latest state to ban abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
The ACLU, Planned Parenthood and other abortion care providers challenged the ban in court with hearings set for September 19th.
Ken Falk, legal director for ACLU Indiana said in a statement, “With multiple lawsuits pending in Indiana courts, we remain confident that the courts will see this law for what it is, a flagrant attack on the rights of Hoosiers. This fight is far from over. We’ll continue doing everything in our power to restore abortion access in Indiana as soon as possible.”
Facilities that provide abortion will no longer be able to perform the procedure limiting abortion services for rare exceptions to hospital settings.
If an abortion is performed outisde of the limited exceptions, parties involved are subject to a Level 5 felony punishable by one to six years of imprisonment with a fine up to 10,000 dollars.
In an interview with WFHB, Dr. Jennifer Drobac, Professor of Law at the Robert H. McKinney School of Law at Indiana University, said that the law interferes with basic medical care.
“Basically this bill is the regulation by law makers of medical care. And it’s second guessing doctors and their patients with respect to what medical care can be offered in the state of Indiana,” said Drobac.
Dr. Drobac said the policy will hurt Indiana beyond substandard medical care, negatively impacting Indiana’s economy.
“I know that businesses and corporations are probably going to either move their headquarters or consider not having their conventions to here because of this type of overly intrusive regulation of people who become pregnant and their families,” she said.
Meanwhile, according to the latest report by America’s Health Rankings and the Indiana Department of Health, Indiana ranks 7th among the worst states for infant mortality.
WFHB News will continue to follow the abortion ban and the lawsuit against it as Indiana grapples with a policy that will likely impact the state for years to come.
Feature Report:
Earlier this year, Indiana legislators voted to ban abortion with limited exceptions after hours of compelling testimony in opposition to the measure. WFHB News Correspondents Kade Young and Noelle Herhusky-Schneider traveled to Indianapolis to speak with protesters on July 25th as the state debated the proposed abortion ban. In light of that ban going into effect today, we revisit this archived feature report from the state capital.
Up next is the newest edition of Voices in the Street, featuring public opinion polls from members of the LGBTQ+ community in Bloomington. We turn to Youth Radio’s Marty Abaddi and Miles Petro for more.
Fall Fund Drive
WFHB News needs your support during our fall fund drive to serve as a watchdog over those in power and deliver important news and information to you right here in our community.
We’re trying to raise 200 dollars during this show to continue bringing you the local news four nights a week on WFHB. Call 812-323-1200 or visit this link to make a donation through our website.
WFHB needs your help now more than ever. Support independent journalism today. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Our feature was produced by Kade Young and Noelle Herhusky-Schneider.
Voices in the Street is produced by Youth Radio.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.
