Judge strikes down several Indiana abortion provisions

A federal judge on Tuesday struck down a number of Indiana’s laws restricting abortion, ruling that they are unconstitutional, while keeping others in place.

Judge Sarah Evans Barker’s ruling bans state employees from refusing to use telemedicine in abortion care, forcing patients to meet with physicians in person before medication abortions, and not allowing second-trimester abortions outside of hospitals or surgical centers, The Associated Press noted. 

Barker, an appointee of former President Reagan, upheld several provisions, including requirements that ultrasounds are performed before an abortion takes place, abortion providers upload detailed information about patients into a state database system, and minors obtain either parental consent or a judicial waiver in order to receive an abortion, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Mike Fichter, the president and CEO of Indiana Right to Life, responded to the ruling by accusing Barker of “judicial activism,” Fort Wayne NBC reported. 

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita (R) said Barker’s ruling contradicted higher court decisions and could lead to an appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, according to the AP.

“We will continue to fight to defend Indiana’s commonsense abortion laws and to build a culture of life in Indiana,” Rokita said in a statement.

This comes after a federal judge temporarily blocked an Indiana law in June that would have required health care providers to share information with their patients about “reversing” a medication-induced abortion, a disputed claim not backed by science.