Doctors fear they could face criminal charges when they provide emergency treatment for pregnant women if a , several physicians told state lawmakers Tuesday.
That testimony came after an Indiana House committee changed the abortion ban proposal narrowly approved over the weekend by the Republican-dominated state Senate. The committee broadened the language to include an exception allowing abortions to protect the health of the mother and adjusted the time frame when abortions would be permitted in cases of rape and incest.
Republican Rep. Wendy McNamara of Evansville, who is sponsoring the bill, outlined the exceptions to protect the physical health and life of the mother, a frequent request among doctors and others testifying before a Senate committee last week. The amendment also would allow abortions if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly.
It additionally removes the Senate-approved time frames based on age for abortions in cases of rape or incest -- up to 12 weeks for those under 16 and eight weeks for those 16 and older. The House version, instead, would create a blanket ban after 10 weeks post-fertilization on abortions in cases of rape and incest. Victims would also no longer be required to sign a notarized affidavit attesting to an attack.
Several dozen people on both sides of the abortion debate filled a Statehouse corridor outside the six-hour-plus committee meeting, where chants such as "safe and legal" from abortion-rights supporters could be heard inside.
The House committee was expected to vote later Tuesday on whether to advance the bill to the full House for action later this week.
Dr. Daniel Elliott, representing the Indiana chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, told the committee that the group worried that a broad abortion ban could allow prosecutors to second-guess the emergency decisions of doctors, leaving them exposed to criminal charges.
The House proposal would require the state medical board to revoke the licenses of doctors found to have performed illegal abortions.
"In emergency situations, physicians often work with a lack of complete information and must make quick decisions in the best interests of our patients," Elliott said. "Overall, we feel like licensure and going to the medical licensing board is where the gray areas within medicine should lie."
The Indiana proposal followed a political firestorm over a 10-year-old rape victim who traveled to the state from neighboring Ohio to end a pregnancy. The case gained wide attention when an Indianapolis doctor said the child had to travel to Indiana because a new Ohio law bans abortions if cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo or fetus, usually around six weeks of pregnancy.
Anti-abortion activists said they were offended that women from Ohio and Kentucky were coming to Indiana for abortions after strict laws took effect in those states following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade. They said Indiana shouldn't allow any exceptions, arguing all abortions are "murder" and "evil" and that the state law declaring life begins at fertilization should be strictly enforced.
Jodi Smith, a lobbyist for the anti-abortion group Indiana Right to Life, said the organization remained opposed to the proposal because it is too lax. Smith said a signed affidavit should still be required for rape or incest exceptions and criticized the proposal's language allowing abortions to protect the mother's health as "very vague and poorly defined."
"The concern is that will either open carte blanche of opportunity for abortion-minded doctors, or it could ensure that good doctors that need more clarity don't know what the allowable procedures are, and they will hesitate," Smith said. "Either option, it ends poorly for women."
Republicans who control the Indiana House are facing similar disagreements over how strict the abortion ban should be after the bill cleared the Senate on Saturday in a 26-20 vote, the minimum number of votes needed to pass. A few Republican senators said they opposed the bill as written but wanted the bill to stay alive for consideration during the special legislative session, which must adjourn by Aug. 14.
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night, causing widespread destruction and immobilizing critical infrastructure. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says that while his party backed a Bloc Quebecois motion seeking money to boost seniors' benefits, he thinks there are 'other ways' to address affordability for older Canadians.
Several models of Fisher-Price infant swings have been recalled in Canada after the company received reports of fatalities link to affected products.
Police north of Toronto have released video of what they鈥檙e describing as a violent, targeted robbery in Thornhill, where suspects boxed in the victim鈥檚 car and made off with a suitcase filled with cash.
Air Canada pilots have given a green light to a tentative agreement with the airline, dousing any fears of a future strike.
One of the B.C. Conservative candidates running in the province's second-largest city has apologized for "completely unacceptable" comments he made about Muslims and Palestinians.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard is abandoning his bid to appeal his 2022 sexual assault conviction before Canada's top court.
The parliamentary budget officer says his updated report on the federal carbon price is largely consistent with his earlier findings, even after adjusting for a previous error.
An Ontario man said he feels 'devastated' after learning his identity was stolen to take out two fraudulent loans under his name.
Police north of Toronto have released video of what they鈥檙e describing as a violent, targeted robbery in Thornhill, where suspects boxed in the victim鈥檚 car and made off with a suitcase filled with cash.
Several models of Fisher-Price infant swings have been recalled in Canada after the company received reports of fatalities link to affected products.
One of the B.C. Conservative candidates running in the province's second-largest city has apologized for "completely unacceptable" comments he made about Muslims and Palestinians.
The superintendent of the Winnipeg School Division (WSD) has apologized over a message displayed during a professional development day on Wednesday.
Halloween is right around the corner, but residents of a South Kanata community say they've been living in what feels like a horror movie for over a month.
Jennifer Johnson, Lacombe-Ponoka legislature member, has been welcomed back into the United Conservative Party (UCP).
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visits Nevada and Arizona while former U.S. president Donald Trump talks economic issues in Michigan, as presidential campaigning continues even with Hurricane Milton hitting Florida.
Gunmen invaded another town north of Haiti鈥檚 capital on Thursday, shooting at people and setting homes on fire, just a week after a massacre killed at least 115 people in the country鈥檚 central region. The number of casualties was not immediately known.
As U.S. officials struggle to push back against misinformation about natural disasters hitting the country, at least three congressional Republicans condemned conspiracy theories repeated by fellow members of their party.
Fay Manners and Michelle Dvorak were perched high on the snowy face of a Himalayan mountain when disaster struck their quest to become the first to summit its peak.
Donald Trump's contributions from small-dollar donors have plummeted since his last White House campaign, presenting the former president with a financial challenge as he tries to keep pace with the Democrats' fundraising machine.
Israel's ground invasion in Lebanon stretched into its second week, as the Hezbollah militant group fired hundreds of rockets deep into Israel 鈥 with no end in sight to the escalating conflict.
The parliamentary budget officer says his updated report on the federal carbon price is largely consistent with his earlier findings, even after adjusting for a previous error.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says that while his party backed a Bloc Quebecois motion seeking money to boost seniors' benefits, he thinks there are 'other ways' to address affordability for older Canadians.
A former chief of staff to a Liberal public safety minister has denied suggestions she worked to stall approval of a spy service warrant in early 2021 because it directly touched the operations of the Trudeau government.
Twin brothers who were born conjoined recently celebrated their first birthday after undergoing successful separation surgery.
For Scarlett Hicks, everyday life is challenging, as the two-year-old lives with a long list of medical conditions.
COVID-19 could be a powerful risk factor for heart attacks and strokes for as long as three years after an infection, a large new study suggests.
Expectations are high for the long-awaited unveiling of Tesla's robotaxi at a Hollywood studio Thursday night. Too high for some analysts and investors.
As if the largest bug to ever live 鈥 a monster nearly nine feet long with as many as 64 legs 鈥 wasn鈥檛 terrifying enough, scientists could only just imagine what the extinct beast鈥檚 head looked like.
A severe solar storm is headed to Earth that could stress power grids even more as the U.S. deals with major back-to-back hurricanes, space weather forecasters said Wednesday.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard is abandoning his bid to appeal his 2022 sexual assault conviction before Canada's top court.
The Nobel Prize in literature was awarded Thursday to South Korean author Han Kang for what the Nobel committee called 'her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.'
Taylor Swift has made a significant donation toward helping those affected by hurricanes Milton and Helene.
Air Canada pilots have given a green light to a tentative agreement with the airline, dousing any fears of a future strike.
The World Trade Organization raised its outlook for global goods trade this year slightly, but cautioned Thursday that increasing geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over economy policy pose 'substantial' risks to its forecast.
A West Vancouver company has been ordered to repay a homebuyer's $1-million deposit after it failed to complete construction on the property in time.
As a parent, you want your child to spread their wings and fly, not crash down to reality when they first enter the job market.
Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
Strong winds from Hurricane Milton caused extensive damage to the roof of St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field, home of the MLB's Tampa Bay Rays.
Rafael Nadal is retiring from professional tennis at age 38, he announced in a video message Thursday, after winning 22 Grand Slam titles 鈥 14 at the French Open 鈥 during an unprecedented era he shared with rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
The Calgary Flames were already preaching the importance of resilience a single game into the NHL season.
Dozens of cars were pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor on Tuesday, causing many questions for Windsorites.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
Mercedes-Benz has partnered up with the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) and the provincial government to launch a new 鈥渋ncubator program鈥. One of the first three locations is Windsor, with the other two going to Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo.
Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.
Saskatchewan鈥檚 Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.
A B.C. couple is getting desperate 鈥 and creative 鈥 in their search for their missing dog.
Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Bernie Hicks, known as the 鈥楤atman of Amherst,鈥 always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.
Bubi鈥檚 Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.
One of the B.C. Conservative candidates running in the province's second-largest city has apologized for "completely unacceptable" comments he made about Muslims and Palestinians.
Mounties are issuing a warning to personal watercraft owners after a wave of thefts were reported at marinas in Metro Vancouver.
The 2024 B.C. election officially kicks off Thursday morning as advance voting locations open their doors.
Police north of Toronto have released video of what they鈥檙e describing as a violent, targeted robbery in Thornhill, where suspects boxed in the victim鈥檚 car and made off with a suitcase filled with cash.
Here is a look at what鈥檚 open, what鈥檚 closed, and what鈥檚 on in the GTA during Thanksgiving weekend 2024:
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard is abandoning his bid to appeal his 2022 sexual assault conviction before Canada's top court.
Calgary commuters can expect delays at 9th Avenue and 1st Street S.E. over several days.
10 things happening in Calgary this weekend.
As a parent, you want your child to spread their wings and fly, not crash down to reality when they first enter the job market.
The transit service conducted a fare compliance blitz between September 3 and 30, with 12 fare inspectors "active across the transit network, enforcing fare regulations," OC Transpo said.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) says enrolment was 1,130 students below projections in elementary schools in September, including 750 fewer Kindergarten students.
The Ottawa Police Service is asking the public for help in identifying a suspect involved in an alleged theft from a vehicle last month in Sandy Hill.
The City of Montreal's French-language committee wants a French-language office established to promote and increase the use of the language in the metropolis.
Although he acknowledges that there is still a lot of work to be done in mental health, Social Services Minister Lionel Carmant is confident that he has succeeded in reversing the trend.
Three young people aged 17, 19 and 20 were arrested after shots were fired late on Tuesday near Old Montreal.
An Edmonton daycare has been shut down after failing to address concerns about unsupervised children, the province said Thursday.
It was a familiar start to the NHL season for the Edmonton Oilers.
Kane Brown will be performing in Edmonton in March as part of his new tour named after his upcoming album, The High Road.
Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night, among those assessing the damage in its aftermath is former CTV Atlantic employee and Maritimer Eric Bungay.
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night, causing widespread destruction and immobilizing critical infrastructure. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
From Friday through Monday, Nova Scotia RCMP will join police forces across the country to educate drivers and enforce safe driving behavior.
The superintendent of the Winnipeg School Division (WSD) has apologized over a message displayed during a professional development day on Wednesday.
Manitobans could be paying more for natural gas in the future.
Hurricane Milton barrelled into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after plowing across Florida, where it knocked out power to more than three million customers and whipped up 150 tornadoes. The storm caused at least four deaths and compounded the misery wrought by Helene while sparing Tampa a direct hit.
Saskatchewan RCMP say a larger police presence in Whitewood is related to a report of robbery with a firearm on Wednesday evening.
At the final meeting of this iteration of Regina City Council, a plan for how to pay for a new indoor aquatic facility that would replace Lawson Aquatic Centre was approved.
After nearly four decades, Howland's Honey is retiring from the Regina Farmers' Market and strictly selling its products in retail stores.
Ontario Provincial Police have arrested a Waterloo man who they believe is linked to a group that has been scamming victims across Canada.
It鈥檚 expected to be a busy weekend in Waterloo Region as Thanksgiving festivities get underway, which means some businesses, services and organizations may be closed or operating at a reduced schedule.
One person was struck by a GO train, near the Kitchener station, on Wednesday morning.
Milton is shaping up to be a monster of a storm, expected to strike Florida as a Category 3 hurricane, just weeks after Hurricane Helene hit the region.
A Saskatchewan Party candidate publicly apologized on Wednesday after it was revealed that he used a racial slur in caucus offices a year and a half ago.
A busy stretch of road, the site of a fatal crash earlier this year, will be closed for a couple of hours Thursday morning.
An Ontario man said he feels 'devastated' after learning his identity was stolen to take out two fraudulent loans under his name.
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night, causing widespread destruction and immobilizing critical infrastructure. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard is abandoning his bid to appeal his 2022 sexual assault conviction before Canada's top court.
The Humane Society of London & Middlesex (HSLM) has reached its fundraising goal for the new Old Oak Animal Campus. Located at 1414 Dundas St. construction continues on the building and remains on track for an opening in early 2025.
The advisory was issued as a result of water sample results that indicated the presence of bacteria. While resampling is scheduled, the advisory is issued as a precaution.
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night, causing widespread destruction and immobilizing critical infrastructure. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
A Barrie man accused of assaulting a police officer in late September, which then became the topic of conversation in parliament last week, has been denied bail.
Provincial police are investigating reports of an armed robbery in Amaranth Township that sent one person to the hospital in critical condition.
A boarded up home caught fire in Orillia early Thursday morning.
Essex County officers are asking for the public's help following a hit-and-run collision in Lakeshore.
A team 14 staff members from Entegrus are on their way to Florida to assist in the restoration of power to thousands of customers affected by hurricanes Hele and Milton.
Many people will get together this weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving, but there are a number of closures to look out for if you are running out to buy last minute items for your festivities.
The 2024 B.C. election officially kicks off Thursday morning as advance voting locations open their doors.
Mounties are issuing a warning to personal watercraft owners after a wave of thefts were reported at marinas in Metro Vancouver.
Abbas Motalebizadeh is a PhD candidate at the University of Victoria鈥檚 Mechanical Engineering Department and on Wednesday he was at the Victoria International Marina to test the Inner Harbour for microplastics.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
Thousands more Lethbridge residents will soon be without a family doctor.
Alberta's police watchdog says the Medicine Hat police officers who were involved in an in-custody death in August 2023 acted reasonably and with appropriate force in dealing with a suspect armed with a machete.
Charges have been laid against a 44-year-old man following a traffic stop in Brocket, Piikani Nation RCMP said Tuesday.
An annual international mining conference is underway in Greater Sudbury, Ont., marking the first time the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Conference of Mining Regions and Cities has been held in North America.
Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.
A woman in Greater Sudbury, Ont., said "It doesn't get more Canadian than this" when she spotted a black bear dumpster diving at a Tim Hortons last month.
A Conservative MP from Newfoundland and Labrador says some small towns in his rural riding are overrun with crime, but police say they haven't received reports to that effect.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
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