Bill requires ultrasound before abortion

INDIANAPOLIS -- Abortion providers must tell women about the availability of ultrasound imaging before ending their pregnancies under a bill Gov. Mitch Daniels signed into law Tuesday.\nThe bill requires healthcare providers to present a pregnant woman with information on ultrasounds and the ability to hear fetal heartbeats. Daniels signed it into law at the Statehouse before going to Evansville for an anti-abortion banquet Tuesday night.\n"He supports the legislation because it provides a pregnant woman with information to help her make an informed decision," said Daniels spokeswoman Jane Jankowski.\nDaniels planned to attend the Vanderburgh County Right to Life Spring Banquet, which was billed as one of the nation's largest anti-abortion banquets. More than 2,000 people were expected to attend, according to Indiana Right to Life.\nMichael McKillip, director of legislative affairs for Planned Parenthood of Indiana, questioned why Daniels would travel to Evansville to tout the bill if it just provided extra information.\n"It would cause me to wonder if the intent of this bill was truly to provide information or if it was an opportunity for political exploitation," McKillip said. "All along, the authors of the bill have said this is not about politics. If this is truly to inform, I would wonder why the governor is going to Evansville, where there are no abortion providers."\nIndiana Right to Life executive director Mike Fichter said the new law will help lower Indiana's abortion rate by helping women "better understand the humanity of the unborn child."\n"An ultrasound image and the sound of a beating heart make it clear that an unborn child is not a blob of tissue, but a real child who is growing and developing in the womb," Fichter said in a statement. "Governor Daniels is to be applauded for his leadership on this issue."\nThe new legislation changes part of Indiana's informed consent law, which is currently under review by the Indiana Supreme Court. The court is debating whether privacy rights are violated by the state law, which requires women seeking an abortion to receive in-person counseling about medical risks and alternatives and then wait at least 18 hours before having the procedure.