Ohio, Indiana's latest neighbor to embed abortion rights in state constitution

SOUTH BEND, Ind - Ohio just became Indiana's latest neighbor to pass an amendment embedding abortion rights in its state constitution.

“It's a very chilling amendment because it legalizes abortion through all 9 months of pregnancy for essentially any reason, and if you're a minor, you can have an abortion without parental notification," said Melanie Garcia Lyon, Executive Director of Voices for Life

Indiana has essentially become an island in terms of abortion rights, with neighboring states like Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan all having unrestricted access to abortion care.

This past Tuesday, Ohioans voted to pass Proposal One, which is an amendment that enshrines abortion care and other reproductive health measures into the state's constitution.

The controversial near-total abortion ban in Indiana comes with strict requirements and few exceptions for getting an abortion, like if the mother's health is at risk, the fetus has a fatal abnormality, or in cases of rape and incest.

the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kentucky and Indiana, Rebecca Gibron, says they do provide resources to patients looking for care outside the state.

“The political landscape that extreme politicians in Indiana have created definitely force Hoosiers to leave their home communities and leave their home state to access basic healthcare," said Gibron.

That Ohio abortion amendment will go into effect starting December 7.