News & Commentary

The 2022 Indiana legislative session is in full swing and state legislators have wasted no time attacking Hoosiers’ fundamental rights.

By Kristin Kohn, Silver in the City Owner

Here’s a handy reference of facts when discussing abortion rights with friends and family at the dinner table.

Access to abortion shouldn't depend on who you are, where you live, or how much money you make.

Fifty-five years ago, the Supreme Court held that a married couple has the right to privacy in choosing to use contraception in Griswold v. Connecticut. Although in this opinion the Court did not extend protection to everyone’s right to make reproductive choices, it laid the foundation for later cases that expanded access to birth control and applied the right to privacy when deciding whether or not to have an abortion. Today, birth control access is under attack yet again, facing threats due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Indiana Legislature is failing to explore reasonable pregnancy accommodations during the 2020 interim session. During the 2020 session, legislators said they need additional research on the issue before they can enact laws protecting pregnant women. But now, they’ve refused to gather further information. This is a huge blow to Hoosier women. The willful ignorance of the legislature on commonsense protections for pregnant workers threatens women’s health and the health of their babies. 

Women’s equality, and especially the concept of feminism, have long been controversial topics. And although so much progress has been made, we still have a long way to go. So how will we know when we’ve “achieved” equality?

There is no doubt that May was deterring for pro-choice advocates across the country. In some states, such as Alabama and Louisiana, politicians pushed through laws that ban most abortions. In others, politicians are doing everything they can to shut down the health centers that many women rely on for basic reproductive health services, including abortion access. Nevertheless, Americans have come out in large numbers to protest these restrictions, and thousands of women have come forward to share their personal stories using hashtag #youknowme.

Situated ironically in the midst of Women’s History Month, are Indiana legislators’ latest attempts to restrict women’s reproductive rights. In 1973, the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, establishing a woman’s access to abortion care as a fundamental right. But once again, Indiana elected officials are pushing multiple bills that threaten a woman’s right to make her own, personal medical decisions.