Indiana's abortion ban partially blocked on religious grounds
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
A judge blocked Indiana's abortion ban for Hoosiers with religious beliefs that conflict with the law.
Why it matters: The case was brought by the ACLU of Indiana on behalf of several anonymous plaintiffs and Hoosier Jews for Choice.
- Because it was certified as a class action, the ruling applies to thousands whose religious beliefs direct them to obtain abortions that would otherwise be prohibited.
Driving the news: Three years after the case was filed, a Marion County Superior Court judge ruled that Indiana's abortion law imposes a substantial burden on religious exercise protected by the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
Between the lines: When originally passed in 2015, RFRA was seen as a protection for the religious right — the same group that supported the near-total abortion ban now being undermined by the law.
- "Today's ruling is a recognition that religious freedom protects people of many faiths and beliefs, not just those favored by the state," Stevie Pactor, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Indiana, said after the ruling was released.
Catch up quick: Indiana was the first state in the nation to pass new abortion restrictions after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
- The law banned all abortions, except for certain cases of rape, incest, risk to the life of the pregnant person or fatal fetal anomalies.
The latest: Attorney General Todd Rokita has already appealed the decision.
- "As we have with every challenge against our pro-life law, we'll continue fighting to protect the lives of the unborn," a spokesperson from Rokita's office told Axios in a statement.