Indiana abortion law signed by Vice President Mike Pence ruled unconstitutional by court
An abortion law in Indiana, signed by Vice President Mike Pence when he served as the state's governor, was ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court on Thursday.
Pence reportedly signed the legislation in March 2016, which imposed multiple restrictions on a woman's ability to seek an abortion. The law also includes the cases where the child would be born with a disability, according to reports.
The ruling was issued by the 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals, where Judge William Bauer wrote that the provisions in the law barring women from seeking abortions in certain cases "clearly violate" the "well-established Supreme Court precedent, and are, therefore, unconstitutional," according to CNN.
The appeals court's ruling reportedly upholds an earlier federal court decision on the same legislation.
Pence had signed the bill named House Enrolled Act 1337 the same year he was chosen to be Donald Trump's running mate. Reports state that when he signed the bill, the state already had some of the country's most restrictive laws.
Pence, in a statement, at the time said: "HEA 1337 will ensure the dignified final treatment of the unborn and prohibits abortions that are based only on the unborn child's sex, race, color, national origin, ancestry, or disability, including Down syndrome."
"Some of my most precious moments as Governor have been with families of children with disabilities, especially those raising children with Down syndrome," Pence added.
The case was reportedly brought to the court by Indiana and Kentucky's Planned Parenthood against the Indiana State Department of Health commissioner.
Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky's president and CEO, Christie Gillespie, in a statement said that the organization "is confident that the courts would rule that the restrictions imposed" by the law "violated the constitution."
"There was no medical basis for these restrictions," Gillespie added.
The executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, Jane Henegar, said that the court's ruling was a victory for women.
"This ruling is a victory for women and another repudiation of attempts by Indiana politicians to restrict -- and even ban -- access to abortion care," CNN reported Henegar as saying.