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Indiana lawmakers look to broaden birth control access

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Indiana lawmakers look to broaden birth control access


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana lawmakers this session are eyeing methods to develop contraceptive entry to stop unintended pregnancies within the state after the Republican-led Legislature pushed by means of an abortion ban this previous summer time.

A Home committee on Tuesday thought-about a proposal that would allow pharmacists to prescribe contraception hours earlier than state Senators accepted a invoice that will permit Medicaid recipients same-day entry to long-acting reversible contraceptives.

However whereas Indiana’s abortion ban is on maintain pending a choice from the state Supreme Courtroom, lawmakers want to bolster companies that will forestall these pregnancies within the first place.

The Home laws relating to over-the-counter contraception was developed “after our particular session final 12 months,” invoice writer Republican Rep. Elizabeth Rowray mentioned in Tuesday’s committee listening to.

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All girls co-authors on the invoice — which permits pharmacists to choose out of authorizing the medicine in the event that they object on non secular or moral grounds — are Republican Reps. Sharon Negele and Ann Vermilion and Democratic Rep. Rita Fleming.

“We thought that accessing hormonal contraceptives as available as doable could be one step in ensuring we didn’t have these unintended pregnancies,” Rowray mentioned Tuesday.

An modification that will have allowed over-the-counter contraception fell quick by one vote this summer time. Fleming tried to grant that entry by means of a spending invoice — which is able to allocate further funding this 12 months to state companies that assist low-income girls and kids — that handed alongside the abortion ban.

Sen. Shelli Yoder, who authored the Senate invoice that handed 49-0, mentioned Tuesday the proposal would permit long-acting reversible contraceptives, equivalent to intrauterine units, to be transferred between Medicaid sufferers.

If a Medicaid affected person doesn’t return after 12 weeks for the system they requested, a medical supplier can reissue that contraceptive to a distinct affected person. This might occur throughout a day-of appointment, reasonably than the standard follow-up go to. Suppliers don’t usually preserve the implant units on the shelf as a result of their excessive prices — as much as $1,000 per system, Yoder mentioned.

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Yoder was joined on the invoice by Sen. Sue Glick, who sponsored the abortion ban invoice final 12 months.

A Senate public well being committee can be scheduled Wednesday to listen to a invoice that will give girls the choice of getting a long-acting reversible contraceptive system implanted after giving delivery.

“It is a win-win for Hoosiers as a result of it saves cash for our well being care suppliers, and it’s a comfort for our Medicaid recipients,” Yoder mentioned Tuesday. “This invoice would assist present very important entry to reproductive well being care and household planning choices to Hoosiers whereas rising accessibility with a possible financial savings for Indiana.”

Republican committee chair Rep. Brad Barrett mentioned the Home committee would return subsequent week to listen to further testimony and talk about modifications to the present model of its contraception invoice.

Indiana Proper to Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion group, mentioned it opposed the invoice till the laws specified contraception couldn’t be “used as an abortifacient,” lobbyist Jodi Smith mentioned Tuesday.

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“Moreover, there aren’t the right safeguards in place to make sure that a pharmacist who could abuse this new authority are held accountable for his or her actions, as physicians are,” Smith mentioned.

Proponents of the invoice are aiming to incorporate modifications so pharmacists might invoice medical insurance corporations for medical assessments they do earlier than prescribing the contraception. Some additionally hope to broaden the kind of contraception that could possibly be prescribed at a pharmacy to include long-acting reversible contraceptives.

“Pharmacists simply function one other entry level for sufferers,” mentioned Dr. Veronica Vernon, who on Tuesday testified for the Indiana Pharmacy Affiliation, instructed The Related Press. “I feel it’s extremely essential, particularly given a few of the different laws that’s handed within the final 12 months from the state.”

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Arleigh Rodgers is a corps member for the Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points. Observe her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/arleighrodgers

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Indiana

Latest forecast: How much snow will Indiana get Friday? When will it fall?

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Latest forecast: How much snow will Indiana get Friday? When will it fall?


The Bloomington area will get more snow today. Here’s how much the National Weather Service now expects to fall and when.

How much snow will Monroe County get Friday?

Aaron Updike, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis said the Bloomington area is expected to get between 2 and 4 inches of snow.

Southern parts of Indiana could see even more, with Bedford projected to get close to 4 inches and areas closer to Louisville possibly seeing 6 inches.

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When will the snow fall today in the Bloomington area?

Updike said the NWS expects the snow to begin around 11 a.m. and end about 12 hours later. However, he said, the day will bring periods of lulls and peaks, though those are more difficult to predict.

Generally, Updike said, the heaviest accumulation will occur from mid-to-late afternoon, around 2 to 6 p.m.

He urged commuters to take extra time and care, as they may experience slippery roads and sidewalks on their way home.

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What kind of snow will be falling in Indiana on Friday?

Updike said the snow should be light and fluffy. The NWS expects only light wind, with gusts of 10 to 15 mph, which means the area should not expect to see much drifting snow.

How cold will it get in the Bloomington area tonight?

The NWS projects that the cloud cover will hang around the area for a while, which will contribute to temperatures falling only to about 20 degrees.

Is there a chance of snowmelt any time soon in Indiana?

Updike said temperatures should rise to near freezing on Sunday, and the area also might see some pockets of sunshine, which should help melt some snow especially on pavement and roads.

However, he said temperatures will not rise enough in the next few days to melt all of the snow.

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Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.



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Indiana Fever linked to trade for 2-time All-Star

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Indiana Fever linked to trade for 2-time All-Star


Satou Sabally was immediately linked to the New York Liberty after announcing that she has played her final game for the Dallas Wings during Unrivaled Basketball’s media availability on Thursday. However, the Indiana Fever are another team who were recently mentioned as a possible trade suitor for the two-time All-Star, via Chloe Peterson of indystar.com.

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Sabally’s announcement was the primary discussion swirling around the WNBA world on Thursday. The Wings will have the option to core Sabally, which will likely lead to a trade given her comments on Thursday. The chances of Dallas simply letting Sabally walk in free agency while passing on the option to core her are slim, but Sabally will likely still end up with a new team for the 2025 season.

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The question is which team will she end up with? The defending-champion Liberty have Satou’s sister Nyara Sabally on the roster, so that may catch Satou’s attention. Joining an up-and-coming team like the Fever may also entice Satou, though.

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There will be other candidates aside from Indiana and New York, of course. The Fever and Liberty both make sense as possible trade destinations for Satou Sabally, however. At only 26 years old, Sabally features the ceiling of a true superstar. If she can stay healthy, Sabally can significantly impact any team she joins.

Fever could trade for Satou Sabally

Sabally would add more star-power alongside Caitlin Clark in Indiana. Clark instantly became one of the most popular players in the WNBA in her rookie season during the 2024 campaign. Adding a star or two would help Indiana, though.

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The Fever reached the postseason but were quickly eliminated in the first round. Indiana’s future remains bright, but they need to upgrade the roster around Clark. Sabally would turn the Fever into serious contenders.

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If the Liberty find a way to acquire Sabally, however, the rest of the WNBA may be in trouble. With Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones already on the roster, the Liberty project to be a championship contender once again. Assuming Stewart returns, the Liberty will compete with or without Sabally, but adding her to the roster would turn New York into a super-team.

Sabally’s announcement on Thursday is already changing the landscape of the WNBA. Rumors will continue to swirl over the next few months. If Sabally is traded, which is seemingly expected at this point, whichever team acquires her will take a big step forward.

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Winter Weather Advisory issued for Friday morning across central Indiana

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Winter Weather Advisory issued for Friday morning across central Indiana


It was the coldest morning of the season so far across Central Indiana. For Indianapolis, we had our coldest temperatures since January 21, 2024 with a low of 5°. Crawfordsville and Columbus both had balmy lows of -8°. The clear skies, light winds and fresh snowpack allowed more heat to be released into the atmosphere. For tonight, it will still be chilly. But, we’ll have increasing clouds overnight ahead of our next snowmaker.

Tracking our next snow

This behemoth of a weather maker prompts winter headlines across several states across the United States. This includes Winter Storm Warnings from Raleigh, North Carolina through Dallas, Texas. Some spots in the northern Dallas suburbs could approach half an inch of snowfall overnight and into Friday. We’ll get our share of the snow Friday, too and it will come with commute impacts. Winter Weather Advisory kicks in at 4:00 a.m. Friday and sticks with us through 4:00 a.m. Saturday.

Most of the Friday morning commute should be okay. However, the tail-end of the commute could see some snow showers starting SW and west of Indianapolis. Because of this, a few slick spots can’t be ruled out but those will be few and far between. That activity will gradually spread NE throughout the morning and afternoon. It will become a steady snow from that time and stick around through the Friday p.m. commute. We anticipate that the p.m. commute will come with slowdowns and headaches. So plan ahead!

The snow will taper through the evening before exiting into the overnight hours. When all is said and done, most will end up with 2-4″ of snow. This will be the story through much of Central Indiana. Less snow likely further NW but more possible south and southeast. Those spots could approach 5.0″ in spots.

This will continue what has been a busy winter season for Central Indiana. Since October 1st, Indianapolis has 12.0″ of snow under its belt. Compared to last year’s 2.2″ to date, we have 10″ more snow overall. It’s the most snow to date in 11 years. A typical season (October 1st to May 1st) sees 25.5″ for Indianapolis.

Cold (and more snow) follow

The cold temperatures aren’t going anywhere following Friday’s snow. High temperatures in the 20s will be around through the weekend. We’ll “peak” with highs near 30° Sunday ahead of a frontal boundary. This clipper system could bring some snow showers Sunday night into Monday but those chances are low. If any snow were to occur, amounts would be low.

That will pass through late Sunday into Monday which will give us our next cold blast. Temperatures will tumble during the day Monday setting the stage for more cold. Highs in the teens on Tuesday and Wednesday as we remain dry. Lows in the single digits with subzero wind chills are also likely.

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