INDIANAPOLIS—On Thursday, the Indiana Supreme Court released a ruling that essentially upholds Indiana’s abortion ban, Senate Enrolled Act 1. State Senator Andrea Hunley (D-Indianapolis) released the following response:

“I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the Indiana Supreme Court’s ruling and the real damage that will follow the enactment of SEA 1. This abortion ban will inevitably cause damage in all Indiana communities, but the most severe consequences of this law will fall on low-income Hoosiers, Hoosiers of color and other marginalized communities. Everyone should be able to determine their own future and have access to comprehensive healthcare. The rights to life, liberty and privacy should not be bound by gender, skin color or ZIP code—they should be guaranteed to all citizens. The right to an abortion is always guaranteed to Hoosier women with the time, money and connections to seek care outside of the confines of Indiana law. There is no court, no law that can ban abortions—they can only ban the safe administration of abortions and send desperate women to unsafe, underground providers. Abortion laws simply aren’t pro-life—they are only pro-birth.

“As a Black mother, I understand the unique fear of being pregnant in Indiana, where Black women die at nearly double the already-high rate of white women. I’ve always hoped my daughters would have a better future and more rights than I do—this ruling is a major setback for that dream, for Hoosier women and for our state at large. I will fight tirelessly for every Hoosier to be guaranteed bodily autonomy and full access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare.”