Majority of Hoosiers Oppose Abortion Bans; Want State Legislature to Spend More Time Focusing on Indiana Families and Addressing Economic Issues
For Immediate Release: July 22, 2022
Indianapolis, IN – As Indiana legislators reconvene for a special session to consider a total abortion ban in the wake of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, new polling released today shows that such a ban is extremely unpopular with voters in the state.
According to the poll of 770 registered Indiana voters, conducted July 14-15 by Public Policy Polling, 71% of Hoosiers say it is important to them that people in their state have access to all reproductive health care options, including abortion. This includes 58% of Republicans and 62% of Independents. This week, anti-abortion legislators in the Indiana Senate revealed just how out-of-touch they are with voters, unveiling legislation that would ban abortion at any stage of pregnancy, with limited exceptions that are ambiguous, difficult to access, and a right in name only.
Hoosiers also do not think the state legislature should be involved in decisions around abortion, with nearly three out of four (74%) saying that the decision whether or not to have an abortion should be left to the pregnant person and their doctor, as opposed to state lawmakers.
A vast majority of voters (84%) want Indiana lawmakers to focus on addressing the state’s economic conditions rather than passing new laws to ban abortion, including 75% of Republicans and 86% of Independents. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of Hoosiers say the state legislature does not spend enough time focusing on legislation to support Indiana families like affordable housing, childcare, health care, and paid leave.
The survey also finds strong opposition in Indiana to measures being considered by states banning abortion:
● 91% of Hoosiers oppose a law that could result in a criminal investigation against someone who has a miscarriage.
● 91% agree that doctors should be able to help their patients experiencing pregnancy complications and miscarriages without fear of being charged with a felony.
● 83% oppose fining or imprisoning someone who crosses state lines to get an abortion if it is banned in their home state.
● 81% oppose allowing individuals to sue people they believe helped someone obtain an abortion.
● 77% oppose charging someone who has an abortion with a felony.
“Despite this resounding consensus and support for access to safe and legal abortion, anti-abortion legislators in the Indiana Senate plan to move forward with legislation that would outright ban abortion in Indiana next week,” said LaKimba DeSadier, Indiana State Director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates. “More abortion bans are not what the people of Indiana want and it is time for their elected leaders to listen. Our legislators need to stop playing with the lives of Hoosiers and start listening to their communities. The majority, 71% of Hoosiers say it is important to them that people in their state have access to all reproductive health care options, including abortion. Passing an outright abortion ban would be undemocratic, shirking the will of the majority in favor of an extreme and vocal minority.”
“Indiana state lawmakers are flying in the face of what their constituents want, need, and deserve: access to safe abortion care,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund. “We’ve seen the devastating realities facing communities where abortion bans like the one that will be proposed in the special session. These tragic stories aren’t a side effect of the bans — they’re the goal. Hoosiers deserve and want access to all reproductive health care for themselves, their families, and their neighbors.”
A memo of the new polling is available here.
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Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit membership organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The Action Fund engages in educational, advocacy, and limited electoral activity, including grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, and voter education
Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, Serving AK, HI, ID, IN, KY, WA (PPAA) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization educating residents and policymakers about reproductive health issues in Alaska, Hawai‘i, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky and Washington. PPAA lobbies and educates to advance Planned Parenthood's mission, and engages in limited electoral activities.