Indiana
Planned Parenthood asks judge to expand health exception to Indiana abortion ban
INDIANAPOLIS — Abortion providers are asking an Indiana trial judge this week to broaden access to abortions under the state’s near-total ban.
Indiana law allows for abortion in rare circumstances, including when the health or life of the woman is at risk, but only at a hospital.
Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers are asking a Monroe County judge for a preliminary injunction expanding the medical exemptions and blocking the hospital-only requirement. The bench trial before special Judge Kelsey Blake Hanlon is scheduled for Wednesday through Friday.
The Indiana Supreme Court upheld the ban in June, ending a broader legal challenge brought by the same plaintiffs, but said the state’s constitution protects a women’s right to an abortion when her life or health is at risk.
The plaintiffs say the ban’s exceptions for protecting health are written so narrowly that in practice, many doctors won’t end a pregnancy even when a woman’s condition qualifies under the statute.
According to the complaint, the ban does not account for conditions that may threaten health later in a pregnancy, after giving birth or for conditions that may exacerbate other health problems. The health and life exception allows for an abortion up to 20 weeks into the pregnancy.
The plaintiffs also want women to be able to have abortions if medically indicated for psychological reasons. The current statute explicitly rules out the threat of self harm or suicide as a “serious health risk,” which is another reason why the plaintiffs say the state’s definition is unconstitutional.
A Planned Parenthood sign is displayed on the outside of a clinic during a news conference, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, in Indianapolis. Abortion providers are asking an Indiana trial court this week to broaden access to abortions under the state’s near-total ban. Credit: AP/Darron Cummings
“The uncertainty caused by the Health or Life Exception’s confusing definition of serious health risk and threats of licensure penalties and criminal prosecution chill Indiana physicians from providing abortions necessary to protect their patients’ lives and health,” the complaint says.
Only a few hospitals, largely in the Indianapolis area, provide abortions and usually at a higher cost than at clinics, the complaint says. Doctors prescribing medication must observe the woman swallowing the pills, delaying abortions for patients who don’t live nearby.
The state has called the providers’ claims “vague and ambiguous” in court filings, and denied that Indiana infringes on any legal rights.
The challenge was filed in politically liberal Monroe County, home to Indiana University’s main campus, but Democratic judges handed off the case until it landed before Hanlon, a Republican elected in a neighboring conservative county.
Indiana became the first state to enact tighter abortion restrictions after the U.S. Supreme Court ended federal abortion protections by overturning Roe v. Wade in June 2022. The state law also allows exceptions for rape, incest and lethal fetal anomalies in limited circumstances.
Since the ban took effect, abortions in the state have dramatically dropped. According to the latest report from the state health department, 46 abortions were reported in the last three months of 2023, down from 1,724 during the last quarter of 2022.
A separate legal challenge seeks to establish a religious exception to the abortion ban in Indiana. The state attorney general asked the Indiana Supreme Court last week to take up the case after an appeals court sided with four residents and the group Hoosier Jews for Choice in April.
The NBA Finals continue tonight with Game 5 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers!
After the Thunder snuck away with Game 4 on the road in the final minutes, things head back to OKC with the series knotted up at 2-2. Which team will break the deadlock and move one win away from an NBA title? Time to find out.
This is your open thread to discuss the game and anything else NBA-related that we haven’t covered in other posts. So hang out here for the night and enjoy the action!
Here’s the broadcast info:
No. 1 OKC Thunder vs. No. 4 Indiana Pacers | 5:30 p.m. PDT | ABC | Series tied, 2-2
TONIGHT
Mostly cloudy skies hold in place for the overnight hours, with light northeast breezes around 5 to 10 mph. Most of the area stays dry, but a warm and somewhat muggy feel will persist, with lows settling near 66 degrees.
TOMORROW
Another round of spotty showers and storms may flare up in the afternoon, especially between 2 and 5 PM. While coverage looks limited, any cells that form could bring a quick downpour. Otherwise, expect a mix of sun and clouds with highs around 85 degrees. Winds will be light and variable, leaning slightly from the east.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Only a few showers or isolated thunderstorms may linger into the evening, mainly after 8 PM. Most areas will stay quiet overnight under mostly cloudy skies. Temperatures remain mild, with lows near 68 and light southeast breezes.
TUESDAY
The storm threat becomes a bit more noticeable on Tuesday. A few early showers are possible, followed by scattered thunderstorms developing after 11 AM. Some heavier downpours are possible in the afternoon, especially west of Indianapolis. Highs climb to around 88 degrees with southwest winds at 5 to 10 mph.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Storm chances continue overnight, with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely after midnight. Skies remain partly to mostly cloudy. It stays warm and humid, with lows only dipping to around 71 degrees. South-southwest winds continue near 5 to 10 mph.
WEDNESDAY
Storms become more widespread Wednesday as a stronger system approaches. Expect showers and thunderstorms throughout the day, with the highest likelihood after 2 PM. Some storms could turn strong or severe, especially later in the afternoon and evening. Highs reach the mid 80s, and winds pick up from the west-southwest at 10 to 15 mph, gusting to 20 mph. Rain chance: 80%.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Storms and locally heavy rain continue into the night, especially before 2 AM. Rain and thunder may linger through the early morning hours. Lows hold near 69 degrees with southwest winds around 10 mph and gusts to 20 mph. Rain chance: 80%.
THURSDAY
The front begins to shift east, but a few lingering storms remain possible during the afternoon, especially east of I-65. Partly sunny otherwise, with a high near 83. West winds around 10 mph. Rain chance: 30%.
THURSDAY NIGHT
Any remaining showers should taper off before midnight. Mostly clear and a touch cooler overnight, with a low near 64 and calm winds.
7 DAY FORECAST
Expect a warm and active stretch of weather across central Indiana this week. Monday will bring just a slight chance of an afternoon pop-up storm, with highs in the mid 80s. Rain and storm chances ramp up Tuesday, with scattered storms likely by afternoon and highs nearing 90. The most active day looks to be Wednesday, when widespread showers and thunderstorms are likely, some of which could turn strong to severe. After a lingering morning storm or two on Juneteenth, skies should trend drier and partly sunny with highs in the low 80s. A quieter and warmer pattern builds in Friday with sunshine returning and highs in the upper 80s. The heat builds further this weekend, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures reaching the low 90s Saturday and Sunday. Heat indices may approach or exceed 100 degrees by Sunday afternoon.
ELKHART, Ind. (WISH) — Multiple people were shooting in an incident that ended with one person dead and 11 others sent to the hospital with gunshot wounds.
The Elkhart Police Department says they were called to the 300 block of W Garfield Avenue for a shots fired call at 1:11 a.m. Saturday. “At this point in the investigation, twelve (12) people have either arrived at or were transported to area hospitals with gunshot wounds,” Elkhart police officer Jessica McBrier wrote in a press release.
One of the 12 people has died. Police did not provide the conditions for the others except that some have already been treated and left the hospital.
EPD’s crime scene is a “large area” between the 200 and 400 block of W Garfield Avenue, and they’re collecting evidence from the surrounding area. The initial investigation found that multiple people were firing guns during the shootout.
If you have any information into the shootings, you’re urged to call the Elkhart Police Department at574-295-7070 or Michiana Crime Stoppers at 574-288-STOP.
This story has been updated with new information from the Elkhart Police Department.
New Titans LB Showing Promise
‘More work is needed’: Texas STAAR test shows reading gains, math below pre-pandemic level
A new trail honors the Utah man whose vision protected Farmington Bay
What is closed on Juneteenth in Vermont? Check the list
How are Rental Markets Trending Across Virginia? – Virginia REALTORS®
-
News1 week agoA former police chief who escaped from an Arkansas prison is captured
-
Technology1 week agoXbox console games are suddenly showing up inside the Xbox PC app
-
Arkansas1 week agoTennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello has funny apology on ESPN at super regional vs Arkansas
-
Technology1 week agoMassive DMV phishing scam tricks drivers with fake texts
-
World1 week agoColombia’s would-be presidential candidate shot at Bogota rally
-
Politics1 week agoVideo: Why the U.S. Brought Back Kilmar Abrego Garcia
-
Texas1 week agoBlack bear spotted at North Texas gas station
-
Politics1 week agoNational Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles County as anti-ICE protests rage: border czar Tom Homan