INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A proposed bill in Indiana would ban abortions when a heartbeat is detected, and would create severe criminal penalties for abortionists who kill babies with a beating heart.
Senate Bill 144 is proposed by state Sen. Jim Banks, and “prohibits the performance or inducement of an abortion of an unborn human individual with a detectable heartbeat unless the medical procedure is designed or intended to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment
of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.”
Those who perform abortions without first performing an ultrasound, or who end the life of an unborn child in spite of the detected heartbeat, would be found guilty of a felony.
“[T]he following are Level 5 felonies: (1) Performing or inducing an abortion before determining whether the unborn human individual has a detectable heartbeat. (2) The performance or inducement of an abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat,” it reads.
While some say that the bill will prevent abortions as early as six weeks as a result, most fetal development experts outline that a baby’s heart begins beating in as little as 20-25 days after conception.
“We have over 8,000 children aborted every year in Indiana. This would deplete that number greatly,” Amy Schlichter, the woman who inspired the bill, told the Indianapolis Star. “The bill basically says if a heartbeat is detected, the baby is protected. The bill doesn’t put a woman before a child. Both should equally have rights. I believe it’s what women want.”
Senate Bill 144 would also establish an Interim Study Committee on adoption promotion and support.
Sen. Banks says that the measure is necessary to protect life.
“This important legislation would protect unborn Hoosiers’ right to life and also includes important women’s health protections,” he remarked in a statement.
Sen. Jim Tomes has also introduced a separate bill increasing the penalties for selling baby bodily organs in the state.
“The mutilation of a little baby that’s never done anything wrong, I don’t know how anybody could make a good argument to support that,” he told reporters. “I can tell you now in our society today if someone were to do that to a puppy or a cat, the outrage would be enormous if someone were doing that.”
“That we even have reports and stories of this taking place now with little babies is just beyond the human mind to fully understand what a dastardly deed that is,” Tomes continued. “It would be nice to have something in place to prevent it from ever happening.”
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