Indiana Supreme Court Upholds Near-Total Abortion Ban

The Indiana Supreme Court has upheld a ban on most abortions from conception, stating that while the state Constitution guarantees a limited right to abortion, it does not provide a fundamental one. The ruling removes the temporary injunction on the near-total ban on abortion passed by the state's Republican-controlled legislature last year. The decision allows abortion only when necessary to save a woman's life or protect her from a serious health risk. Abortion-rights groups argue that the ruling will deny essential healthcare to 1.5 million people in Indiana, particularly the poor and those facing barriers to medical care. The ban is set to take effect on August 1, but a separate lawsuit challenging the ban on religious freedom grounds is still pending.