This is the text of the remarks that State Representative Peggy Mayfield gave at the Indiana Right to Life press conferences on June 20. I am grateful for the opportunity to address you today. As House sponsor of SEA 404, the bill that provided for the reporting requirements at issue, I applaud the vigilant efforts of Indiana Right to Life to hold Planned Parenthood accountable for protecting our young girls-- girls under 16—girls not yet old enough to get a driver’s license--who have had abortions performed on them. A girl this young, in these cases as young as 12, must either obtain her parent’s consent or the court’s permission before having an abortion. In addition, the provider must notify the Dept. of Child Services within 3 days of the procedure. The reason for this is clear: the age of consent in Indiana is 16. Any pregnant girls younger than that could be the victim of a variety of sex crimes or trafficking. Doctors play an integral part in identifying and reducing...
