PPINK, ACLU applaud court ruling

INDIANAPOLIS – Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky (PPINK) and the America Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana are pleased by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana’s summary judgment regarding abortion restrictions in House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1337.

“PPINK was confident Judge Tanya Walton Pratt would rule that the restrictions imposed by HEA 1337 violate the Constitution,” said Christie Gillespie, President and CEO of PPINK. “Every person deserves the right to make their own personal decisions about abortion. There is no medical basis for these restrictions. This is just another example of politicians coming between physicians and patients.”

ACLU of Indiana Legal Director Ken Falk said, “The United States Supreme Court has repeatedly stressed that a woman, not the state, is to determine whether or not to obtain an abortion. The State of Indiana’s attempt to invade a woman’s privacy and to control her decision in this regard is unconstitutional.”

“Unnecessary restrictions such as these demean women and threaten the quality of their health care,” said Jane Henegar, ACLU of Indiana executive director. “The ACLU of Indiana will continue to work to ensure that every woman can make the best decision for herself and her family about whether and when to continue a pregnancy without undue political interference.”

PPINK, with the assistance of the ACLU of Indiana, filed a lawsuit on April 7, 2016, with the U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, declaring the requirements in the new Indiana law to be unconstitutional.

Judge Pratt granted a preliminary injunction on June 30, 2016, blocking provisions of HEA 1337 that were set to go into effect the following day. Judge Pratt entered the summary judgment on Sept. 22, 2017.