The Republican-controlled Indiana Senate gave final legislative approval on Friday to a bill that would ban most abortions, six weeks after a United States (US) Supreme Court decision erased a woman’s constitutional right to terminate her pregnancy.
The bill, adopted on a 28-19 vote hours after clearing the state’s House of Representatives, would make Indiana the first US state to impose such a ban since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case legalizing abortion nationwide was overturned on June 24.
A decision on whether to sign the measure into law is now up to Republican Governor Eric Holcomb.
Indiana’s legislature adopted the measure during a special session its Republican leaders called after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority, in a Mississippi case titled Dobbs v. Jackson, immediately cleared the way for all states to regulate abortion as they see fit.
West Virginia is likely days away from passing a near-total abortion ban, and some 10 other Republican-led states have already implemented similarly strict prohibitions that were on the books before Dobbs replaced Roe as the law of the land.
Source: Reuters
In other news – Nota Baloyi’s open letter to Somizi
Controversial Nota Baloyi has taken to his social media to pen down an open letter to Somizi Mhlongo.
The star shared a lengthy post calling out the public and Idols SA out for continuing to support Somizi Mhlongo despite his past crimes. Learn more
