STATE NEWS
Sen. Jim Banks Introduces the Abortion Funding Awareness Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) introduced the Abortion Funding Awareness Act. This bill requires states to publicly report detailed information about Medicaid payments to abortion providers, including how much was paid, what services were funded, and data on the abortions performed. It aims to increase transparency around taxpayer funds used in connection with abortion-related services. Rep. Erin Houchin (IN-09) is the leading the companion bill in the House.
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “A majority of Americans agree that taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to fund abortions. My bill exposes states that abuse tax dollars this way, aiming to protect unborn lives in the process.”
Rep. Erin Houchin (IN-9): “The Abortion Funding Awareness Act exposes how states are funneling Medicaid money to abortion providers,” said Congresswoman Erin Houchin. “For too long, the left has used loopholes and a lack of transparency to prop up Planned Parenthood and others who profit from taking innocent lives. This bill says enough is enough.”
Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and Steve Daines (R. Mont.) are co-sponsors of this bill.
This bill has been endorsed by Americans United for Life, Students for Life, SBA Pro-Life America, and Concerned Women for America LAC.
Key Provisions of the Abortion Provider Transparency Act are:
- Encouraging pro-life values by exposing Medicaid’s corrupt use of American taxpayer dollars for abortions
- Ensuring transparency of American taxpayer dollars, by requiring states to report:
-Medicaid payments made to abortion providers
-Annual reports to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on all abortion payments using taxpayer funds
-All reports and findings to the state’s website
Full bill text can be found here.
Background:
Senator Jim Banks introduced the Abortion Funding Awareness Act in the 118th Congress as a member of the House of Representatives.
Read more about the bill here.
Great news. Gov. Braun today signed the executive order below making it clear the Indiana Department of Health is to ensure that abortion providers comply with Indiana law, and that DOH must cooperate with the Attorney General's office in investigation and enforcement.
THANK YOU FOR VOTING!
Indiana Right to Life President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Fichter issued the following statement tonight in response to Governor-Elect Mike Braun’s victory.
“The landslide election of pro-life Republican Mike Braun over abortion advocate Jennifer McCormick is a defining statement on the strength of pro-life support in Indiana. Throughout her campaign, McCormick repeatedly stated she wanted the governor’s race to be Indiana’s referendum on abortion. Tonight, she got her wish. We are proud of the pro-life voters who turned out in force today, and we look forward to working with governor-elect Braun to make Indiana a model state in supporting pregnant mothers and protecting unborn babies.”
Right to Life of Northeast Indiana event draws 3,000 supporters, makes Ft. Wayne host to largest pro-life banquet in the world
Last week’s sold out Right to Life of Northeast Indiana annual banquet in Fort Wayne was a tremendous success, shattering all previous records with its attendance of 3,000 supporters. The event, featuring a keynote address by Jim Caviezel, earns the distinction of being the largest pro-life banquet in the world, followed by Right to Life of Southwest Indiana which drew 2,000 supporters for its August event in Evansville with Tim Tebow.
Victory for Indiana Right to Life as court bars enforcement of laws prohibiting corporate contributions to Super PACs
On October 4, a federal court prohibited enforcement of an Indiana law that, in violation of the First Amendment, limited corporate contributions to PACs for independent expenditures. This ruling represents a complete victory for Indiana Right to Life Victory Fund (“IRTL Victory Fund”) and for all who value the constitutional right to engage in political speech, which is at the core of the First Amendment.
Indiana Right to Life supports retention of all state judges on ballot
On this year’s general election ballot, five Republican-appointed judges will face retention votes. Each of these holds to a conservative judicial philosophy. The three Indiana Supreme Court justices (Rush, Massa, and Molter) voted to uphold Indiana’s new abortion law, which ended 98% of abortions in Indiana, as constitutional. Abortion backers are attempting to prevent retention of these Republican-appointed judges.
Indiana Right to Life urges you to vote YES on retaining all five state judges on the ballot.
Each state has the duty to determine the fate of the unborn and other vulnerable citizens. We all have the grave responsibility to understand and vote to protect life. Our state has been traditionally pro-life, however, pressures to change are being applied. Your understanding of the laws is critical so that you can wisely vote. We aspire to have shortcuts on our website to assist you for legislative updates. Links to your representatives to communicate will also be available. Protection of life is fundamental to our existence and the future of our nation. See our petition page here.
The Westfield, Indiana, community publicly honored the nine identified victims of Indiana’s notorious 1990s Fox Hollow Farm serial killings, and an unknown number of unidentified others for the first time Thursday.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and Coroner’s Office have successfully named the nine known victims and are in the process of identifying four others. There were a total of 10,000 pieces of human remains located on the 18-acre estate where serial killer Herb Baumeister, owner of the Sav-A-Lot shopping chain, once lived.
“The complexity and the amount of remains they have, which is over 10,000 stored, is second only to 9/11,” said Linda Znachko, founder of He Knows Your Name, an Indiana-based ministry for the unidentified deceased. “And the intricacy and the amount of manpower that this investigation is continuing to need and require, plus money to do pathology and all the DNA work, is just huge.”
See the Fox News Coverage here