Stop Senate Bill 89! Senate Bill 89 is marching forward. The measure passed through the Indiana House Public Policy Committee Tuesday by a vote of 8-4. This legislation is a serious threat to women’s access to safe and legal abortion in Indiana. It would require doctors who perform abortions in Indiana to obtain hospital admitting privileges in the county where the abortion occurs or an adjacent county. Supporters say the bill is about patient safety. However, abortion is one of the safest medical procedures performed. Less than 0.3 percent of abortion patients experience complications that require hospitalization. Beyond being unnecessary and burdensome, Senate Bill 89 adds nothing to health care policy in Indiana. If passed, it would further erode the ability of Indiana women to make the right choices for themselves and their families and result in women making dangerous choices due to reduced access to safe, legal abortions. The legislation would mandate the same requirements as the county ordinances passed in both Vanderburgh and Dubois counties, where it has been falsely marketed as a “patient safety” movement. We must do everything possible to ensure that this legislation is not given a favorable vote on the Indiana House floor. We need you to take immediate action by sending the letter/email below or, even better, a similar one in your own words, to your State Representative. You can also call your legislator at (800) 382-9842. Sample Letter for Campaign Subject: Please vote NO on Senate Bill 89 Dear [ Decision Maker ] , As an Indiana citizen who is proud to live in a country and state where a woman's right to choose is honored, please vote no on Senate Bill 89 on the House floor. This legislation is NOT about protecting patient safety as it is claimed to be. Abortion has a lower serious complication rate than even full-term pregnancy. This legislation is about creating even more barriers to abortion by adding to the already onerous regulatory and bureaucratic environment for doctors who provide these services in Indiana. By mandating hospital admitting privileges for the already small number of doctors who provide reproductive services for Indiana citizens, more and more women will be left without the ability to choose when and if to add to their families. Please don't let extremist politics erode Hoosier women's rights to have a choice. Please vote NO on Senate Bill 89. Sincerely,

Campaign Launched: April 08, 2009

Background Information

A Hoosier woman’s right to make a constitutionally-protected decision that is right for her family and her future. If this bill passes, we are only certain that abortions would continue in Marion County. Is one of 92 counties enough? The answer is very clearly NO.