“We have an opportunity to make progress in protecting the sanctity of life, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” he added at the time.
The bill was sent to the Senate after being amended in the House earlier Friday. It contains exceptions in cases of rape, incest, when the mother’s life is at risk and fatal fetal anomalies.
The House’s final vote on the bill Friday was preceded by more than five hours of additional debate Friday between state representatives on both sides of the issue. Republican state Rep. Wendy McNamara, the bill’s sponsor, made final remarks before the vote.
“Too often these days we are exposed to a lot of violence and death. This bill restores faith in humanity and faith that human life has value,” McNamara said.
After the bill passed in the House, the Indiana Democratic Party tweeted that their Republican counterparts seeking to ban abortion are “essentially declaring that their values are more righteous than those of their fellow citizens.”
Indiana currently allows abortions up to 20 weeks after conception (or 22 weeks after the mother’s last menstrual period).
