Indiana House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta met with Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, alongside leaders from other states, to discuss the fight for reproductive rights.
Representative Phil GiaQuinta, a Democrat serving Fort Wayne’s south side, mentioned the 10-year-old girl who had to travel to Indiana from Ohio for an abortion, due to the neighboring state’s trigger law which went into effect immediately following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to uphold Roe v. Wade.
GiaQuinta said the trigger law prioritized “Republicans’ unpopular dogma over women’s safety.”
“Let’s make no mistake, an abortion ban will kill women,” he said.
GiaQuinta said Indiana leads the nation in maternal and infant mortality and lacks the infrastructure to support families.
“Access to safe and legal abortion is critical for women to remain economically mobile, independent and safe,” he said.
GiaQuinta was joined by representatives from Florida, Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. He said Indiana Democrats are prepared to continue fighting for reproductive rights.
Indiana Republicans have requested a special session for the end of this month to propose abortion legislation, which will likely include a state-wide ban.
Earlier Friday, President Biden signed an executive order to protect abortion access at the federal level.
