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Both abortion-rights and anti-abortion supporters stage peaceful protests at the site of the Merrillville Planned Parenthood clinic in July.
Planned Parenthood officials confirmed its Merrillville health center, 8645 Connecticut St., is remaining open for contraception services, gender-affirming care, sexually transmitted infection screening and treatment and other health care needs.
MERRILLVILLE — People still can obtain reproductive and other health services at the Planned Parenthood facility in Merrillville — even though a new Indiana law prohibits doctors from performing abortions at the clinic.
Planned Parenthood officials confirmed its Merrillville health center, 8645 Connecticut St., is remaining open for contraception services, gender-affirming care, sexually transmitted infection screening and treatment and other health care needs.
“Planned Parenthood remains fully committed to Indiana. We aren’t going anywhere,” said Katie Rodihan, Planned Parenthood communications director.
Senator Lindsey Graham is looking to take away abortion rights for women in all states around the U.S. Veuer’s Tony Spitz has the details.
Senate Enrolled Act 1, which took effect Thursday, prohibits all abortions in Indiana from the moment of conception, except within 10 weeks of fertilization for pregnancies caused by rape or incest, or 20 weeks if necessary to prevent serious physical impairment or the death of a pregnant woman, or because of a lethal fetal anomaly.
The statute, approved Aug. 5 by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, also shuts down abortion services at Planned Parenthood clinics by requiring every abortion be completed in a hospital or hospital-owned surgical center, and it puts doctors at risk of losing their medical license if they fail to sufficiently justify the legal basis for an abortion.
According to the Indiana Department of Health, a total of 1,145 abortions, or 13.6% of the state’s total, were performed last year at the Planned Parenthood facility in Merrillville.
A lawsuit challenging the constitutional legitimacy of the abortion restrictions, filed by the Indiana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers, is set for a hearing Monday in Bloomington.
Riding Shotgun/DNR Conservation Officer Tyler Brock
A separate lawsuit claiming the near-total abortion ban runs afoul of Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act is scheduled for review next month by an Indianapolis court.
In the meantime, Hoosier women still can access abortion care through Planned Parenthood just across the state line at 19831 Governors Hwy. in Flossmoor, Illinois.
Records show Indiana was the first state to legislatively impose new abortion restrictions following the June 24 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that rescinded the right to abortion established by the high court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
State Sen. Michael Griffin, D-Highland
1st Senate District
Represents: Hammond (south side), Munster, Highland, Griffith, Dyer, Schererville
Experience: Former Highland clerk-treasurer; university instructor
Committees: Insurance and Financial Institutions; Local Government
State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago
2nd Senate District
Represents: Hammond, Whiting, East Chicago, Gary (west side), Griffith, Hobart, Merrillville
Experience: State senator since 2008, previously served 1994-98; attorney
Committees: Commerce and Technology; Insurance and Financial Institutions (ranking member); Judiciary (ranking member); Rules and Legislative Procedure; Tax and Fiscal Policy; Utilities (ranking member)
State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary
3rd Senate District
Represents: Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago, Hobart, Merrillville, Crown Point
Experience: State senator since 2016; community relations manager
Committees: Appropriations (ranking member); Education and Career Development; Health and Provider Services; Joint Rules; Rules and Legislative Procedure
State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton
4th Senate District
Represents: Ogden Dunes, Portage, Chesterton, South Haven, Burns Harbor, Beverly Shores, Michigan City, Westville
Experience: State senator since 2021; attorney
Committees: Corrections and Criminal Law (ranking member); Environmental Affairs; Local Government; Pensions and Labor; Public Policy
State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso
5th Senate District
Represents: Valparaiso, Hebron, Kouts, Jasper County
Experience: State senator since 2007; attorney
Committees: Appropriations; Ethics; Health and Provider Services (chairman); Rules and Legislative Procedure; Tax and Fiscal Policy
State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell
6th Senate District
Represents: St. John, Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Winfield, Lowell, Newton County
Experience: State senator since 2014, state representative 2012-14; small business owner
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Local Government; Tax and Fiscal Policy
State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
8th Senate District
Represents: LaPorte County
Experience: State senator since 2016; consultant
Committees: Corrections and Criminal Law; Insurance and Financial Institutions; Judiciary; Local Government
State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond
1st House District
Represents: Hammond, Whiting
Experience: State representative since 2018; retired Cook County, Ill., probation officer
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Family, Children and Human Affairs; Natural Resources
State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago
2nd House District
Represents: East Chicago, Gary (west side)
Experience: State representative since 2016; small business owner
Committees: Government and Regulatory Reform; Roads and Transportation; Ways and Means
State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary
3rd House District
Represents: Gary (downtown and east side), Lake Station, New Chicago, Hobart
Experience: State representative since 2018; attorney
Committees: Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development; Courts and Criminal Code (ranking member); Government and Regulatory Reform
State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso
4th House District
Represents: Valparaiso
Experience: State representative since 2006; aviation safety consultant
Committees: Elections and Apportionment; Roads and Transportation; Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications (chairman)
State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City
9th House District
Represents: Michigan City, Chesterton, Beverly Shores, Long Beach, Westville
Experience: State representative since 2018; retired small business owner
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Natural Resources (ranking member)
State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage
10th House District
Represents: Portage, Chesterton, Ogden Dunes, Burns Harbor, South Haven
Experience: State representative since 2008; financial solutions associate
Committees: Employment, Labor and Pensions; Roads and Transportation (ranking member); Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron
11th House District
Represents: St. John, Cedar Lake, Lowell, Schneider, Hebron, Kouts
Experience: State representative since 2014; farmer, former state environmental regulator
Committees: Agriculture and Rural Development (vice chairman); Courts and Criminal Code; Environmental Affairs
State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster
12th House District
Represents: Munster, Hammond (south side), Highland, Griffith
Experience: State representative since 2020; small businessman
Committees: Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development; Employment, Labor and Pensions; Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary
14th House District
Represents: Gary (south side), Merrillville
Experience: State representative since 1990; education professor at Indiana University Northwest
Committees: Education (ranking member); Judiciary; Local Government
State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville
15th House District
Represents: Dyer, Schererville, St. John, Griffith
Experience: State representative 2012-18, reelected 2020; small business owner
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Ways and Means
State Rep. Douglas Gutwein, R-Francesville
16th House District
Represents: Newton, Jasper counties
Experience: State representative since 2008; small business owner
Committees: Agriculture and Rural Development; Environmental Affairs (vice chairman); Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point
19th House District
Represents: Crown Point, Merrillville, Winfield, Lakes of the Four Seasons, Hobart
Experience: State representative 2014-2018, reelected 2020; small business owner
Committees: Family, Children and Human Affairs; Public Health (vice chairwoman); Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie
20th House District
Represents: LaPorte County
Experience: State representative since 2016; small business owner
Committees: Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development; Roads and Transportation (chairman)
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Dan has reported on Indiana state government for The Times since 2009. He also covers casinos, campaigns and corruption.
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“Ensuring mothers get the care they need after giving birth is a core part of our effort to address the nation’s maternal health crisis,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.
“This is the year of the woman,” proclaimed Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Thomas McDermott Jr., the five-term mayor of Hammond, during a campaign rally in Gary.
The American Civil Liberties Union claims the new abortion restrictions violate Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act and should not be permitted to take effect Sept. 15.
The website — Jennifer-TruthGreen.com — includes a clip of a Green TV interview where she declares, “I’m 100% pro-life — all the way.”
“It flies in the face of the momentum that we already have and the pipeline that I am tracking every single day for continued growth in the state of Indiana,” Gov. Holcomb said.
Republican Jennifer-Ruth Green describes herself as “unashamedly and unapologetically pro-life,” while Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan said he favors abortion rights for women.
“Given this new law, we will be forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state,” said Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co.
Indiana is the first state to legislatively impose new abortion restrictions following the June 24 Dobbs v. Jackson ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that rescinded the right to abortion.
The government of Indiana is on the verge of mandating nearly every Hoosier woman who becomes pregnant to carry the pregnancy to term and deliver a baby.
Both abortion-rights and anti-abortion supporters stage peaceful protests at the site of the Merrillville Planned Parenthood clinic in July.
Planned Parenthood officials confirmed its Merrillville health center, 8645 Connecticut St., is remaining open for contraception services, gender-affirming care, sexually transmitted infection screening and treatment and other health care needs.
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