INDIANAPOLIS— Today, the United States Supreme Court released a ruling overturning Roe v. Wade and nearly 50 years of precedent. The ruling will lead to states like Indiana considering legislation to strictly regulate abortion. State Senator Rodney Pol (D-Chesterton) released the following statement:

“Today’s ruling violates nearly 50 years of legal and cultural precedent that protect a woman’s right to decide their own medical fate. This ruling and the state actions that follow it will not end abortion. Rather, any prospective bans will lead to a decline in a women’s quality of life, unsafe abortions that were rampant pre-Roe, and concentrate harm to women in low-income communities who may not have the ability to travel to other states that protect women’s healthcare.”

“The decision to terminate a pregnancy is, for many, one that does not come easy or without much internal deliberation. Women know themselves and their lives better than the Government ever could. That’s why I support a woman’s right to decide. Taking away that right will lead to worse outcomes for Hoosier families and negatively impact our workforce. Our quality of healthcare will also suffer when medical providers are targeted. After the announcement of today’s ruling, at least one Northwest Indiana police department started receiving calls from licensed medical providers concerned about the criminalization of their practice. As we anticipate a legislative proposal in the Indiana statehouse in response to today’s ruling, I will continue to stand with women and their healthcare rights.”