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Saturday, December 31, 2005
Ind. Law - Legislator promotes bill that would make abortions illegal in Indiana except when a mother's health is in danger
Jennifer Whitson of the Evansville Courier& Press reports today:
INDIANAPOLIS - State Rep. Troy Woodruff has drafted a bill that would make abortions illegal in Indiana except when a mother's health is in danger, a bill that would bring a firestorm of debate and national attention if filed. * * * Woodruff said the bill as drafted would define life as beginning at conception and would alter Indiana's feticide law. * * * "I think it's very important that we do everything we can to protect Hoosiers whether they're born or not," he said. * * *Brian Vargus, a professor of political science at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, said Woodruff's bill is a politically smart move. Woodruff cast the deciding vote in the House to pass daylight-saving time, a measure he promised not to support. Now, Vargus said, the abortion debate will make sure religious conservatives turn out to vote for him in 2006.
"The religious base in an off-year election is about 40 percent of the vote," Vargus said. But he said that on the policy front, the bill wouldn't have much impact except to waste lawmakers' time and taxpayer dollars if it's taken through the court system.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on December 31, 2005 08:46 AM
Posted to Indiana Law