WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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A lawsuit filed against the state of Indiana last Thursday challenges the state’s strict abortion laws.
The plaintiffs in the case, All Options Pregnancy Resource Center, Whole Women’s Health Alliance, and Dr. Jeffrey Glazer filed on the grounds that the state’s laws present an unnecessary burden on patients seeking abortion counseling or services.
The lawsuit challenges the state’s abortion laws, claiming that they burden patients who may already be in emotional distress.
The lawsuit comes after Whole Women’s Health Alliance, one of the plaintiffs in the case, was denied a license to open a clinic in South Bend.
Whole Women’s Health Alliance is a non-profit organization that provides care and education for women. The organization still hopes to open a non-surgical abortion clinic in South Bend, after they were denied a license by the Indiana State Department of Health.
The non-surgical abortion clinic would be under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Glazer, a licensed OB-GYN and abortion provider, who is a co-plaintiff in the case.
All Options Pregnancy Resource Center of Bloomington joined Whole Women’s Health Alliance and Dr. Glazer’s case against the state, last week. All Options provides ” open-hearted support for all your experiences with pregnancy, parenting, abortion, and adoption.”
All Options is not a direct medical provider, but joined the lawsuit, alleging that their practice is hindered by state laws.
The lawsuit, which was filed last Thursday, has begun court proceedings yet, but All Options Executive Director Parker Dockray says that the center and its co-plaintiffs are optimistic.
Dockray says the state has a history of passing legislation that inordinately burdens women. She says the unsupportive attitude of the state’s legislature has manifested itself in regulations that restrict family planning and reproductive rights.
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill issued a statement in response to the lawsuit last week, saying his office will “review this lawsuit as we prepare to defend Indiana’s laws respecting fetal life and protecting women’s health and safety.”
Dockray says that the ultimate goal of the case is to build a “compassionate and kind Indiana,” and “support an Indiana where everyone can be healthy and live their best life.”
Dockray says she suspects that their case won’t see much advancement for the next few months.
