INDIANAPOLIS — On Monday, political publication Politico released an obtained Supreme Court draft opinion suggesting Roe v. Wade could be overturned.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court confirmed the authenticity of that document.
There are already restrictions on abortion in the state of Indiana. Currently, Indiana allows abortions to be performed for up to 22 weeks.
However, experts say people typically can’t get an abortion in the state after the first trimester.
If Roe Vs. Wade is overturned, the state of Indiana could restrict abortion further or ban it altogether.
"While Roe Vs. Wade is the law of the land and they can't outright deny abortion,” said Laura Wilson, an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Indianapolis. “There are things states can do to signify their dissatisfaction with the policy, and certainly in Indiana, we have seen that for many years beforehand.
Constitutional experts say the leaked Supreme Court draft isn't surprising with the conservative majority on the bench.
"Public opinion on this issue among Americans has been remarkably stable for over 40 years,” said Steve Sanders, a Constitutional Law Expert, and professor at IU Bloomington. “(The) Majority of Americans want abortion to be available. They don't want it to be available under all circumstances though. They believe reasonable restrictions are appropriate.”
The Indiana Republican Party has indicated that if Roe v. Wade is overturned, they are urging the governor to hold a special session.
“The vast majority of House Republicans, including myself, have been abundantly clear that we want to take action to further protect life should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn, in full or in part, Roe. We will continue to await the court's final decision," Indiana Speaker of the House Todd Houston said in a statement.
According to a 2019 Ball State poll, only 17 percent of Hoosiers support the criminalization of abortions even in cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother.
"It's hard to say whether there would be a special session because Governor Holcomb has already said he is waiting for an actual decision,” Wilson said. “Right now, all we have is the leak that gives us strong indications. Our state legislature also tends to move a little bit slower. "
Governor Eric Holcomb did address the leak on Tuesday.
“Before further commenting on a leaked draft document out of the Supreme Court, like the rest of the country, I’ll wait to review the official and final decision they release on the matter in the few weeks and months ahead," Holcomb said in a statement.
There are currently 13 states that have trigger laws that stipulate if Roe vs. Wade is overturned, abortions would be restricted either automatically or within 30 days of the ruling.
Indiana is not one of those states.
For resources and details surrounding abortion in the state of Indiana click here.
