随着各州继续在全国范围内监管堕胎权利,印第安纳州和南卡罗来纳州的堕胎权利团体和州立法机构在美国最高法院的影响下意见不一推翻罗伊诉韦德案。
印第安纳堕胎提供者周二在门罗县巡回法院提起诉讼,寻求在9月15日生效之前结束该州的堕胎禁令。南卡罗来纳州议会大厦批准了一项近乎全面的禁令周三,在州最高法院宣布堕胎后暂时封锁本月早些时候的6周禁赛,同时法庭案件向前推进。众议院的法案现在正等待州参议院的批准。
在一起诉讼中,印第安纳州堕胎服务提供商声称该州的禁令,签署成为法律由州长埃里克霍尔科姆在8月5日,违反了“基本”权利的堕胎提供者和病人受印第安纳州宪法保护。自从美国最高法院推翻罗伊案以来,印第安纳州是第一个通过禁令的州。
该诉讼称,该法律侵犯了居民的隐私权,违反了印第安纳州对平等特权和豁免权的保障,并因其违宪的模糊语言而违反了宪法的正当法律程序条款。
印第安纳州对印第安纳州医疗许可委员会成员和县检察官提起的诉讼是由计划生育组织、律师项目、印第安纳州和威尔默哈尔的美国公民自由联盟代表堕胎服务提供商提起的,包括计划生育组织、妇女医疗集团专业公司和All-Options。
美国计划生育联合会(Planned Parenthood Federation of America)主席兼首席执行官亚历克西斯·麦吉尔·约翰逊(Alexis McGill Johnson)在一份声明中说:“立法机构在特别会议期间匆忙通过的堕胎禁令——几乎是在美国最高法院推翻罗伊诉韦德案后立即通过的——既危险又极其残酷。”
根据诉讼,印第安纳州的堕胎禁令,参议院1号法案,是一项近乎全面的堕胎禁令,使提供堕胎服务成为5级重罪,只允许三种例外。违反禁令的提供商将被吊销执照,并可能面临一到六年的监禁和高达10,000美元的罚款。
根据法律,如果孕妇的生命处于危险之中,胎儿被诊断患有致命的异常,或者怀孕是由于强奸或乱伦造成的,那么在怀孕的特定阶段堕胎是允许的。
该诉讼称,该禁令将“严重限制堕胎护理的获得,禁止几乎所有怀孕的[居民]在印第安纳州获得护理。”
诉讼称,如果该法律生效,每年“数千名”寻求堕胎护理的印第安纳州居民将不得不中断生活,前往州外接受护理,“大大推迟了他们的堕胎,并导致他们产生更高的费用”。
诉讼称,该禁令还取消了该州的堕胎诊所,进一步限制了获得堕胎服务的机会。
“通过削减提供堕胎服务的设施数量,这些设施将仅限于集中在印第安纳波利斯及其周围的医院,S.B. 1将会给即使是少数有资格享受该禁令极其有限的例外情况的人带来实质性负担,”诉讼称。
堕胎手术的费用随着妊娠的进展而增加诉讼称,因此当病人不得不等待时,他们要支付更多的费用。
该诉讼还警告说,无法出行的患者将“求助于”自我管理她们的堕胎在医疗系统之外”或被迫违背自己的意愿继续怀孕。
该州的医疗执照委员会和印第安纳州检察官委员会没有立即回应ABC新闻的置评请求。
与此同时,南卡罗来纳州众议院周三批准了一项近乎全面的堕胎禁令,该禁令只为因强奸和乱伦导致的怀孕提供例外。如果该法案得到州参议院的批准,它将被送到州长的办公桌上等待批准。
南卡罗来纳州州长亨利·麦克马斯特(Henry McMaster)办公室在给美国广播公司新闻(ABC News)的一份声明中表示,他将“仔细考虑最终提交给他的任何立法,但他认为这是参议院开始审议的一个良好开端。”
2021年2月,共和党州长签署了一系列法案,禁止在检测到胎儿心脏活动后堕胎。该禁令于6月27日生效,此前美国最高法院推翻了罗伊诉韦德案。
法律是暂时封锁由南卡罗来纳州最高法院,而法官审查由计划生育提出的诉讼在7月声称该禁令侵犯了隐私,违反了州宪法规定的平等保护。
Lawsuit filed to block Indiana abortion ban as South Carolina lawmakers approve near-total ban
As states continue to regulate abortion rights across the country, abortion rights groups and state legislatures in Indiana and South Carolina are at odds amid fallout from the U.S. Supreme Courtoverturning Roe v. Wade.
Indiana abortion providers filed a lawsuit in Monroe County Circuit Court on Tuesday seeking to put an end to the state's abortion ban before it goes into effect on Sept. 15. The South Carolina State Houseapproved a near-total banon abortion on Wednesday after the state's Supreme Courttemporarily blockeda 6-week ban earlier this month, while the court case moves forward. The House bill now heads to the state Senate for approval.
In a lawsuit, Indiana abortion providers claim the state's ban,signed into lawby Gov. Eric Holcomb on Aug. 5, violates the "fundamental" rights of abortion providers and patients protected under the Indiana Constitution. Indiana was the first state to pass a ban since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe.
The suit alleges the law infringes on residents' right to privacy, violating Indiana's guarantee of equal privileges and immunities and violate the Constitution's due course of law clause because of its unconstitutionally vague language.
The Indiana lawsuit filed against members of the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana and county prosecutors, was filed by Planned Parenthood, the Lawyering Project, the ACLU of Indiana and WilmerHale on behalf of abortion providers including Planned Parenthood, Women's Med Group Professional Corp and All-Options.
"The abortion ban that the legislature rushed through during a special session — nearly immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade — is both dangerous and incredibly cruel," Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement.
Indiana's abortion ban, Senate Bill 1, is a near-total ban on abortion, making it a level 5 felony to provide abortion services, only allowing three exceptions, according to the lawsuit. Providers who violate the ban will have their license revoked and could face between one to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Under the law, abortions up to certain stages in pregnancy are permitted if the pregnant woman's life is in danger, the fetus is diagnosed with a fatal anomaly or if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that the ban will "severely limit access to abortion care, prohibiting nearly all pregnant [residents] from accessing care in Indiana."
Abortion rights activists react after the Indiana Senate votes to ban abortion, inside the Indiana State house during a special session in Indianapolis, Aug. 5, 2022.
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesIf the law goes into effect, "thousands" of Indiana residents who seek abortion care each year will have to disrupt their lives to travel out of state for care, "significantly delaying their abortions and causing them to incur higher expenses," the lawsuit alleges.
The ban also eliminates abortion clinics in the state, further restricting access, the lawsuit says.
"By slashing the number of facilities providing abortion, which will be limited to hospitals concentrated in and around Indianapolis, S.B. 1 will materially burden even the few people who may qualify for the ban's extremely limited exceptions," the lawsuit alleges.
The cost of an abortion procedureincreases as the pregnancy advances, so patients pay more for care when they have to wait, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit also warns that patients unable to travel will "resort toself-managing their abortionoutside of the medical system" or be forced to continue a pregnancy against their will.
The state's medical licensing board and the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
The South Carolina State House on Wednesday, meanwhile, approved a near-total ban on abortion which only provides exceptions for pregnancies that are a result of rape and incest. If the bill is approved by the State Senate, it would head to the governor's desk for approval.
In a statement to ABC News, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster's office said he will "carefully consider any legislation that ultimately reaches his desk, but he believes this is a good starting point for the Senate to begin its deliberations."
In February 2021, the Republican governor signed a package of bills into law that ban abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected. The ban took effect June 27 -- after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
The law wastemporarily blockedby the South Carolina Supreme Court while justices review a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthoodin Julythat alleges the ban is an invasion of privacy and violation of equal protection under the state constitution.