On October 10th, Jennifer McCormick announced a “Commonsense Abortion Rights” plan in her campaign in the gubernatorial race, which she promises to follow if elected. This plan poses a threat not only to unborn children in Indiana but also to women’s lives and health.
McCormick’s plan promotes the removal of “barriers” that abortion clinics face. Such barriers are there to keep women safe and hold abortion clinics (even though Indiana does not currently have abortion clinics, under McCormick’s leadership, this could change) and doctors accountable. She plans to direct the Indiana Department of Health to interpret the current laws to maximize legal access to abortion services. Abortion is currently illegal in Indiana, with exceptions for rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormalities, and the life of the mother.
One of McCormick's action items in her “Commonsense” plan is to “protect the privacy of Hoosiers' medical records from prying government officials, including terminated pregnancy reports.” To McCormick, the reports violate privacy. The reality is that Termination of Pregnancy Reports (TPRs) exist to protect women. The purpose of these reports is to improve maternal health and life by collecting data on maternal health and life factors, as well as ensure that abortions are only performed under the law.
Termination of Pregnancy Reports are required to be submitted to the Department of Child Services if a minor has an abortion. They also require doctors to report if the fetus was delivered alive, if the fetus was viable, and the type of abortion (medication or surgical). They also provide information on any complications that may have occurred during the abortion, such as death, uterine perforation, failure to end pregnancy, incomplete abortion (retained tissue), hemorrhage, or infection, to name a few. Without reporting requirements, there is no accountability for the doctors, hospitals, or clinics providing abortions if complications occur, if a minor is seeking an abortion, or if a woman is seeking an abortion as a result of coercion, abuse, trafficking, or harassment.
In 2023, 117 abortion complications were reported in Indiana. So far in the first two quarters of 2024, 38 complications have been reported out of the 72 abortions performed in Indiana. With a 53% complication rate just this year, the suggestion of elimination of TPRs is surely of serious concern to all people who value the health and safety of women.
"With a 53% complication rate just this year, the suggestion of the elimination of TPRs is surely of serious concern to all people who value the health and safety of women."
While Indiana no longer releases individual TPRs, the health department does release aggregate reports.
McCormick plans to prioritize “reproductive health funding” in the state budget, appoint abortion rights activists to state boards and committees, including the Medical Licensing Board, and appoint pro-choice judges to the Indiana Supreme Court. Additionally, McCormick will push for legislative change to create citizen-led ballot initiatives to allow the people to repeal Indiana’s extreme abortion ban directly. Such a move could repeal Indiana’s current life-saving laws on abortion.
Indiana saw a 98% drop in abortions from Q2 of 2023 to Q2 of 2024. With McCormick as governor, it is certain that abortion numbers in the state will begin rising again. If elected, such a plan would have innumerable consequences for women and the unborn.
