INDIANAPOLIS, April 7, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – Planned Parenthood has sued the state of Indiana over a law that bans abortions solely based on the child's race, sex, or genetic condition like Down syndrome. The abortion agency argues that women should be allowed to choose to abort a child “for any reason.”
Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky (PPINK) and the ACLU of Indiana filed a lawsuit today in federal district court to stop the law, House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1337, which Governor Mike Pence recently signed into law.
The law, which would take effect on July 1, requires abortionists to inform women that such abortions are illegal as part of the informed consent process.
The legal complaint says that Planned Parenthood's abortionists “strongly object to having to participate in informing women that Indiana law prohibits an abortion solely because of the fetus’s race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex,” or disability.
“PPINK is aware that some of its patients seek abortions for a reason banned by the Enrolled Act,” the lawsuit says, “and PPINK anticipates performing such abortions in the future.”
HEA 1337 also mandates that the remains of aborted babies be disposed of in a humane fashion, either being buried or cremated.
“This will require PPINK to incur additional costs and expend additional resources,” its lawsuit states.
ACLU of Indiana Legal Director Ken Falk called the new law an “attempt to invade a woman’s privacy and to control her decision,” which is “unprecedented and unconstitutional.”
North Dakota actually banned the practice of aborting unborn children with Down syndrome in 2013.
Mike Fichter, president of Indiana Right to Life, said the lawsuit is motivated by Planned Parenthood's radical devotion to abortion-on-demand, as well as its base desire to pad its own profit margin.
“This is the same song and dance we have seen from the abortion provider anytime they feel their lucrative abortion business is threatened. They look to the courts and activist judges to rule in their favor,” Fichter said. “Planned Parenthood boasts $2 million a year in abortion revenue in Indiana alone. They oppose any commonsense law that protects women and children, because they want to protect their bottom line.”
“Planned Parenthood's opposition to this law just shows how extreme on abortion they truly are,” he said.
St. Joseph County Right to Life’s Executive Director, Jeanette Burdell, agreed. “It is disappointing that the ACLU and Planned Parenthood do not value anti-discrimination to certain classes of individuals, but instead defend an extremist position for abortion due to Planned Parenthood’s financial agenda behind incentivizing abortion.”
Burdell said the state has an inherent interest in protecting life – and there is a more humane option for those suffering from physical or mental genetic conditions.
“It is our firm belief that protecting unborn babies with certain characteristics (disability, gender, race, etc.) from discrimination ranks higher than the legal right to abortion,” she said. “Adoption is always a loving option, which many forget to include in the conversation, since no child is truly unwanted.”
