PROMOTING A CULTURE OF LIFE – Straight From The Senate

Like millions of Americans, I was appalled last year to watch videos showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing how the organs of aborted children were preserved and sold to medical researchers.

More recently, an Indianapolis television outlet reported that MedAssure, a medical waste facility on the city’s west side, had received aborted fetuses from a Missouri Planned Parenthood clinic despite MedAssure’s state permit banning them from accepting or processing fetal remains.

MedAssure has been fined $11,250 for their permit violation, but there are still four medical waste companies in Indiana that are not subject to restrictions regarding fetal remains.

These disturbing revelations show the importance of remaining vigilant in standing for the sanctity of human life. That is why I am supporting legislation this session that prevents the trafficking of aborted baby remains, treats such remains with dignity and respect, and promotes perinatal hospice care as an alternative to abortion.

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Senate Bill 313 would make it a Level 5 felony for an individual to acquire, receive, sell, or transfer fetal tissue. House Bill 1337 makes it a Class A misdemeanor to transport an aborted fetus into or out of Indiana except for the purpose of conducting a burial or cremation. Similarly, HB 1337 seeks to uphold the dignity of the unborn by requiring an aborted or miscarried baby to be buried or cremated within 10 days.

Indiana must ensure that our laws explicitly prohibit the buying and selling of fetal tissue. We must send the clear message that we will not tolerate human remains being treated as a commodity. These bills make this clear, and they have my support.

SB 313 also prohibits abortions based solely on race, ancestry, sex, or a non-lethal disability. An abortion performed solely on the basis of these factors suggests that certain lives have less value than others, or that life is not worth living for certain categories of people. Such discriminatory abortions are not consistent with Hoosier values.

Finally, SB 313 requires health-care providers to give information on perinatal hospice care to the parents of unborn babies diagnosed with a lethal fetal anomaly. In such a tragic situation, parents deserve to understand all of their health-care options.

These and other policies passed by the General Assembly in recent years seek to protect our most vulnerable citizens and promote a culture of life in Indiana. As the 2016 legislative session approaches its conclusion, I’m hopeful that these provisions will pass in final form and be signed into law.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and ideas concerning these and other topics. My office can be reached at 800-382-9467 or by email at Senator.Long@iga.in.gov.