INDIANAPOLIS– On Thursday, February 20, 2025, advocates, lawmakers, and community members gathered at the Indiana Statehouse for the Indiana Reproductive Health and Access Coalition’s Lobby Day, determined to preserve and expand policies that improve access to reproductive health care despite the wave of legislative measures seeking to restrict abortion and other crucial health services.
Event organizers highlighted Indiana’s troubling maternal mortality rate, stories of patients compelled to seek care out of state, and preventable tragedies—such as a recent ectopic pregnancy death in Northern Indiana attributed to the lack of an OB-GYN and provider shortages happening across the state. The coalition also warned of legislative measures introduced by Indiana lawmakers that would ban medication abortion, dismantle the Hoosier Abortion Fund, weaken access to birth control by excluding IUDs and condoms from proactive legislation, and redefine “human being” at conception—actions that could criminalize both providers and patients. Despite an existing near-total abortion ban, more anti-abortion bills have been introduced this session than ever before –signaling the need for a continued unified fight to restore reproductive rights for Hoosiers.
Haley Bougher, Indiana State Director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates (PPAA-IN):
“This legislative session, we saw a record number of new anti-abortion bills, followed by an executive order that threatened to release Terminated Pregnancy Reports, threatening both the health, safety, and personal medical decisions of Hoosiers and their providers. And yet, this legislature has failed to advance any bill that would expand health care access, sending us a clear message that the supermajority prioritizes power over the well-being of Indiana families. This public health crisis is not hypothetical. It is real. And it is urgent.”
Dr. Caitlyn Bernard, an Indiana OBGYN representing ACOG of Indiana:
“Look around you; these are the people who are truly not giving in to apathy or despair but are rising to the challenge and standing in the breach. The people here today represent so many others who are not here but who support and need us. There will always be people in Indiana who need abortions, and we will continue to fight for them for their right to be healthy and not just to survive but thrive. I am going to continue to provide abortions and be here for those who need this care every day. We will continue to fight dangerous bills in the legislature, pressure our elected representatives to truly represent all people in Indiana, and we will continue to fight legal battles to protect the privacy of our patients and to prevent harassment of our physicians. We will not be afraid to say and do what is right, and we are not going anywhere.”
Angie Carr Klitzsch, Women4Change:
“Women4Change Indiana stands firmly for the rights of all Hoosiers to access comprehensive reproductive health care. Today, we are here to advocate for policies that protect personal freedoms, ensure access to care, and uphold the dignity of every individual in Indiana. Our voices are powerful, and together, we will continue to fight for a future where healthcare decisions remain where they belong—between individuals and their doctors.”
Danielle Drake, Advocacy Team Lead for the ACLU of Indiana (ACLU-IN):
“We are here today because we believe in fighting back. We believe in reproductive justice work. We believe in and trust our healthcare providers. We must challenge these unjust laws and regulations at every level. The fight is long. It is exhausting. But let me tell you something: we are gaining ground […] And here in Indiana—we will not stop until we win back our rights.”
Senator Shelli Yoder:
“Our work is going to be more critical than ever […] We are going to pass through SB 419 – providers deserve protection, and parsing out who deserves protection and who doesn’t is not the Hoosier way.”
Legislators, including Representatives Shackleford, Hamilton, Summers, and Errington and Senators Jackson, Hunley, and Yoder, were commended for championing bills on patient privacy, maternal health improvements, clinic licensure reinstatement, Medicaid coverage for over-the-counter birth control, and more. None of these bills have been successful this session. The message from the coalition is clear: no matter what barriers arise, advocates will continue fighting—together—for as long as it takes until the abortion ban is repealed and access to reproductive health care services is restored.
**Watch a live stream of the speaker’s comments here.
Organizations involved in the coalition event include:
- PPAA – Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates of Indiana
- ACLU – American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana
- Women4Change
- Good Trouble Coalition
- Hoosier Jews for Choice
- All-Options
- Indiana Task FORCE
- ACOG – American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Our Choice Coalition
