The second phase of our trial against the State of Indiana in the comprehensive case of WWHA v. Rokita concluded on Friday, June 25, 2021. In June 2018, Whole Woman’s Health Alliance (WWHA) filed suit in federal court to challenge a slew of restrictions on abortion care, including: licensing, physical plant and admitting privilege requirements; a ban on telemedicine; parental involvement laws; waiting periods; mandates requiring disclosure of inaccurate, irrelevant and ideological information; and much more.
Our President & CEO, Amy Hagstrom Miller, testified via Zoom on June 23, 2021, giving a voice to patients and providers. She testified about how Indiana’s medically unnecessary abortion restrictions prevent WWHA from providing abortion services to patients seeking care after ten weeks of pregnancy.
June 27, 2021 was the 2-year anniversary of the opening of our South Bend clinic, and our fight for abortion access has never stopped. We are grateful to our clinic staff who are at the forefront of that fight every day, helping patients shed stigma and stress as they make the best decision for themselves and their families.
June 27th was also the 5-year anniversary of the historic Supreme Court decision in Whole Woman’s Health v Hellerstedt, which struck down many of these same laws in Texas. Since then, many other states have successfully followed this precedent to strike down similar unnecessary and burdensome regulations, and Indiana should do the same. We expect the judge to issue a ruling in the coming months.
In addition, earlier last week, our attorneys presented our case against HB 1577, which was signed in April 2021. One provision of the bill forces health care providers to share false and misleading information with their patients about “reversing” a medication abortion that is not supported by science. This new law also bans the use of telemedicine for abortion care, which we are also challenging. The bill provides no medical benefit to patients and serves only to make abortion care more difficult to provide and access. The judge indicated that he will issue a decision before the law goes into effect on July 1, 2021.
Whole Woman’s Health Alliance and our co-plaintiffs, including All Options, Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana and Kentucky, and others, will not stand by while elected officials continue their attacks on essential health care. We will always find a way to provide a safe haven if and when Hoosiers need us. Stand with us by DONATING now.
