(Michigan City, IN) - A local state lawmaker is speaking out against Indiana recently outlawing a vast majority of abortions.

 

State Representative Pat Boy of Michigan City said the law signed by the governor on Friday treats women as “second class citizens that must be controlled and cannot be trusted.”

 

All Democrats in the Indiana House of Representatives, including Boy, voted against the legislation.

 

“Women deserve bodily autonomy and the right to privacy to make this extremely personal decision. This law will strip a woman of these rights,” Boy said.

The law effective on September 15 makes abortion a criminal act unless it’s needed to protect the health of the mother or baby or if the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.

 

Abortion in cases of rape or incest must occur within the first ten weeks of pregnancy.

 

Rep. Boy said many, especially very young victims of rape and incest, though, don’t know they might be pregnant until after the ten-week post-fertilization period. She also believes the restrictions will cause OBGYN physicians to leave the state already short on such experts in the medical field.

 

Indiana has the third highest maternal mortality rate in the nation, which could get worse in the future, according to Boy. 

 

“This bill will cause many more to leave our state and discourage new physicians from setting up practice here. As a result, there will be many more deaths of women and their children who cannot get adequate care,” Boy said.