Reproductive Health and Access Coalition Lobby Day on Thursday at the Indiana Statehouse saw guest speakers such as Dr. Caitlin Bernard and Rep. Robin Shackleford, D-Indianapolis, join together to advocate for policies that “prioritize access to comprehensive healthcare, reproductive rights, and social justice.”
Ashlie Kehrberg, a mother of six, is actively involved in maternal organizing and child-care advocacy. She came to the Statehouse to advocate for Indiana mothers, who may not be getting the access to health care they need.
“Many amazing maternal health bills die in committee, and they are still focused on abortion,” she said. “If the bills for maternal health focused on keeping women alive are dying in committee, how are we going to want to have children?”
Statistics gathered by Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security in 2020 showed that Indiana has the third worst maternal mortality rate in the country. The first 12 months after Indiana’s abortion ban took effect in August 2023, the number of abortions dropped 98%.
Haley Bougher is the Indiana state director at Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, and she spoke to TheStatehouseFile.com on Thursday.
“When we have the third worst maternal mortality rate in the nation, it’s something that you can’t help but care about because these are your friends and neighbors that are suffering the consequences of reproductive health care in our state,” she said.
Bougher also highlighted the challenges Hoosiers face when restrictive laws force them to travel out of state.
“There have been numerous folks that have had to come forward and tell their harrowing stories of leaving the state to receive medical care because they are in a situation where they have to for their health and safety,” she said. “It’s something that has dire consequences for Hoosiers.”
Rep. Sue Errington, D-Muncie, a longtime advocate for women’s reproductive rights in Indiana, spoke at the event.
“This place needs your voice. We legislators who support reproductive rights need your voice,” she said. “You inspire us to keep fighting this fight and the obstacles that are thrown in front of us.”
Errington spoke on house bills introduced this session that aimed to further women’s reproductive rights in Indiana, including HB 1303, HB 1298, and HB 1169. These bills focused on sexual health education, contraceptive coverage, and access to birth control. All three died in committee.
“In the Hoosier Survey that was released last December, two-thirds of respondents said they support legal abortion in the first trimester,” Errington said. “Hoosiers overwhelmingly support the right of women to make our own reproductive health decisions without government interference.”
Shackleford spoke on the importance of passing bills with bipartisan support.
“The POWER Caucus, which is the women caucus, had our first meeting yesterday. We picked our new leadership, and one of the topics that we are going to take up is maternal and infant mortality,” she said.
The POWER (Political Organization for Women’s Education and Representation) Caucus consists of primarily women legislators and works to “improve the quality of life for women and all citizens of Indiana.”
“If we can get the power of the women behind this and get this bipartisan caucus now part of this movement, then maybe we can start seeing some of these bills pushed,” Shackleford said.
Dr. Caitlin Bernard, one of Indiana’s last remaining abortion providers, spoke during Lobby Day, encouraging women to hold onto hope even in times that might make them want to “crawl into bed every day.”
In 2022, Attorney General Todd Rokita accused Bernard of violating a young patient’s privacy following an abortion procedure. Bernard was subsequently reprimanded and fined by the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana. Rokita still faces a disciplinary complaint related to the case.
In her speech, Bernard honored Taysha Wilkinson-Sobieski, a 26-year-old Indiana woman who passed away in 2023 due to pregnancy complications.
“As OB-GYNs are fleeing Indiana, leaving maternity care deserts, we have had our own death in northern Indiana due to an ectopic pregnancy: Taysha Wilkinson-Sobieski,” said Bernard.
“Say her name. It is important to understand that legislators have direct consequences. You cannot hide from the effect of your laws, but I am going to provide abortion care in Indiana as long as I can, and that’s a promise.”
