Indiana Republicans propose spending up to $78M on maternal support while banning most abortions

(The Center Square) – Indiana senate Republicans revealed their draft bill, Senate Bill 1, which would ban nearly all abortions in the state while also unveiling plans to appropriate $45 million to bolster existing programs that support the health of pregnant women, mothers and infants.

House Republicans simultaneously unveiled their version of financial support for mothers and children, which would include $20 million in tax exemptions and $58 million in appropriations.

The Senate bill would ban all abortions except those performed to save the mother’s life or in cases of rape or incest. The bill defines pregnancy as commencing with the implantation of a fetus in the uterus and ending at live birth. The bill also prohibits surgical abortions from being performed at abortion clinics.

It is unclear that this will be the legislation passed in a special session of the General Assembly commencing July 25. House Republicans have yet to reveal the specifics of their abortion bill.

Also, there appears to be disagreement among Republicans on the subject. GOP Senator Kyle Walker issued a statement saying he would support allowing abortion through approximately the first trimester of pregnancy.

The Senate fiscal plan would set the adoption tax credit at $10,000 in addition to increasing spending on maternal and child programs.

The House plan would provide a sales tax exemption for children’s diapers, increase the tax credit for a dependent child, add an additional tax exemption for an adopted child, increase the adoption tax credit and add coverage for donated breast milk, prenatal screening and labor and delivery charges to Indiana Medicaid coverage, as well as bolster spending on existing mother and child welfare programs.