Indiana bill filed to make abortion illegal

A Republican lawmaker has filed a bill to make abortion illegal in Indiana, saying if it became law, it could ultimately be a vehicle to get the U.S. Supreme Court with new members to overturn abortion rights.\nBut Gov. Mitch Daniels said Thursday that his sense was that "it would have a very limited prospect of ultimate success."\nThe bill by Rep. Troy Woodruff of Vincennes would change Indiana's feticide law to make it a Class C felony, punishable with a two- to eight-year prison sentence, to perform an abortion. The only exception would be when carrying a pregnancy to term would pose a "substantial permanent impairment of the life or physical health of the pregnant woman." \nWoodruff said he filed the bill Wednesday in part because there will be a new U.S. Supreme Court and a state must pass a law and then appeal it to the highest court to see if the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling would stand.\n"Also the people have never had an opportunity (through their lawmakers) to vote on the matter," Woodruff said.\nThe bill likely will be assigned to the House Public Policy and Veterans Affairs Committee. Chairman Marlin Stutzman, R-Howe, said he agrees with the bill but is uncertain whether he can schedule it for a hearing. He said with a short session that is to end by March 14, he will only have three committee hearings, and such a controversial bill would take up at least one entire meeting.\n"The bill is very close to my heart," Stutzman said.\nDaniels said he was a "supporter of the right to live."\nBut he questioned whether the bill has any prospect of success and whether time and money spent on it would lead anywhere.\n"Ultimately for this to change, I think, first the heart of the country and maybe ultimately the view the courts take of states' rights to place some limits would have to evolve," Daniels said.