Indiana state Rep. Eric Turner (R) argued Tuesday that there should be no loopholes in the state’s abortions laws for victims of rape or incest, because then “someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they’ve been raped or there’s incest.”
Turner had introduced HB 1210, which, among other things, would make most abortions illegal after the twentieth week of pregnancy. It would also prevent any insurance companies from covering abortions under the federal health care bill, something that has also been debated at the federal level.
State Rep. Gail Riecken (D) introduced an amendment that would create an exemption from Turner’s bill for victims of rape or incest, or in cases where the health of the mother was at risk.
Turner, in response, argued that this would create a “giant loophole,” where “someone who could — I want to be very careful, I don’t want to disparage in any way someone who’s gone through the experience of a rape, or an incest — but someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they’ve been raped or there’s incest.”
He added that the amendment doesn’t allow for any “confirmation” of that, “so I would ask you, as I think most Americans and most Hoosiers believe that abortion coverage of any kind should not be a part of the federal health care act.”
Here’s the video. Rep. Linda Lawson (D) is the one who objects after Turner’s remarks:
Riecken’s amendment was voted down 54-42.
h/t ThinkProgress.
