INDIANAPOLIS–Today, Senate Bill 1 passed out of the Senate Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee along party lines. Senate Assistant Democratic Leader Eddie Melton (D-Gary) released the following statement:

“After the public testimony we received, there’s no reason the proposed abortion ban bill should have passed out of committtee. This goes against Hoosier wishes and, worse, against the expert opinion of doctors. We listen to lawyers for legal advice, we should listen to doctors for medical advice, and this legislation contradicts what medical professionals have advised. Senate Bill 1 will strip women of important healthcare access and make it harder for underserved communities to tap into that care. The passage of this bill gravely disappoints me, but I will continue fighting for women and Hoosiers throughout this special session process with the hope of seeing this unpopular and unwanted proposal killed.

“I’m also disappointed that Senate Democratic amendments were, on the whole, rejected from even being heard. I had an amendment to offer a religious exemption for abortion for Hoosiers whose faith do not align with this policy. It’s the same exact thing that was supported by colleagues on the right during the vaccination discussing during COVID. My amendment should have been easy to accept—the fact that it wasn’t even heard deeply bothers me. My caucus will be offered our amendments again on second reading in front of the full Senate. I look forward to seeing how all my “pro-life” colleagues vote on our amendments on the floor.”