John Krull commentary: Whose choice is it, anyway?
Some years ago, a group opposed to abortion created a series of television commercials and an ad campaign. The theme was: “Life, what a beautiful choice.” Each spot featured a story about a woman who had decided to have a child rather than an abortion. They ended with the same tag line—about life being a beautiful choice. At the time, most observers thought of the ads as a clever public relations strategy, a way to soften the sharp edges of an anti-abortion movement that was perceived to be too strident to be persuasive to anyone who didn’t already agree with…
Anticipating state abortion ban, protesters continue to descend on Statehouse
Tracey Nix found out she had cervical cancer when she was pregnant. “And it was aggressive,” she said. “It was growing very quickly. And my doctor, for whatever reason, said that they would do nothing about it during the first trimester. So that would have put me in the second trimester, which in many states would have been too late to have an abortion. So then I would have had to choose. I would have had a choice.” Nix and many other pro-abortion protesters held a rally on the steps of the Indiana Statehouse all Wednesday afternoon—one of many pro-abortion…
Former IU law school dean calls for Rokita disciplinary investigation
By Casey Smith Indiana Capital Chronicle July 19, 2022 Indiana’s attorney general maintains he did nothing wrong after a former Indiana University provost and law school dean called for a disciplinary investigation into his televised statements about the doctor who oversaw a medication abortion for a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio. Former IU Maurer School of Law Dean Lauren Robel alleged that Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita made “false or baseless” statements on Fox News about Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Caitlin Bernard, according to a three-page letter sent Friday to the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission. The letter was first-reported Monday by the Indianapolis…
Start of special session delayed to July 25, allowing additional time to prepare legislation in wake of Roe v. Wade overturning
UPDATE: Adjusting their timetable in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Indiana legislative leaders Thursday announced the special session previously set to begin July 6 will instead start on July 25. "In light of the historic Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, legislative leaders are anticipating a multi-week special session versus one or two days," Erin Wittern, spokesperson for the Indiana House Republicans, said in a statement released Thursday. "Due to this extended session and to minimize logistical issues, leaders worked with the governor to push the start date to July 25." *** EARLIER: “I have…
John Krull commentary: Just wars, self-inflicted wounds and the overturning of Roe v. Wade
Many years ago, a political operative who served the cause of social conservatives gave me an off-the-record tutorial. At the time, he and his colleagues were in the middle of what had been predicted to be a toughly contested race. It didn’t turn out that way—largely because he and his team orchestrated a negative campaign against the Democratic candidate, using push polls and other unscrupulous tactics to spread rumors that were demonstrably not true. I asked the conservative operative how he could square such tactics with his faith. “We consider this a just war,” he told me. “In a just…
With Roe v. Wade ruling expected by year’s end, a special session might be on the way
Above: While pro-abortion-rights protesters gathered Oct. 2, 2021, in downtown Indianapolis in response to a new Texas abortion law, anti-abortion advocates assembled nearby for a counter-protest. Over 100 Indiana lawmakers are asking Gov. Eric Holcomb to call a special session if the U.S. Supreme Court rules that states can restrict abortion in a case expected to reach a final decision before the end of the year. In an open letter, the legislators made it clear that the intent is to restrict abortion in the state. “As a state that recognizes that life is a precious gift that should never be neglected,…