A pro-life organization is suing the Indiana Department of Health, saying that the agency’s decision to no longer release abortion records is shielding abortion businesses from public accountability.
The organization Voices for Life filed the public complaint in Marion County Superior Court against the Indiana Department of Health and State Health Commissioner Dr. Lindsay Weaver on May 1. Represented by the Thomas More Society, Voices for Life contends that the health department’s refusal to release abortion records is violating the state’s own Access to Public Records Act.
According to its press release, Voices for Life has been reviewing abortion records since 2022. These records do not contain personal or identifying information about abortion patients, but they do offer information that would point to any health code or abortion law violations. Voices for Life says it has previously used these records to discover about 700 instances of illegal activity among abortion businesses and has subsequently filed complaints with the state health department and the attorney general’s office in regards to those violations. The health department complied with those records requests until last fall, when it said it would no longer be releasing the information.
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Attorney General Todd Rokita has issued an advisory opinion condemning the health department for its refusal to comply, saying that without access to the records, “there is no effective way to enforce our [new] pro-life law.”
“Access to these public reports is crucial for protecting vulnerable Hoosier women and children,” Voices for Life Executive Director, Melanie Garcia Lyon said. “The Indiana abortion industry has a long history of health and safety violations from Ulrich Klopfer hoarding fetal remains in his garage to Caitlin Bernard violating the privacy rights of a minor. We are suing for access to these reports to continue holding dangerous abortionists accountable for violating State law.”
“Voices for Life, other pro-life organizations and the attorney general’s office must be able to review individual records in order to ensure abortion providers do not ignore laws designed to protect Indiana women and children,” added Thomas Olp, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President. “Indiana’s abortion industry has a history of health and safety violations. Those who run afoul of the law must be held accountable.”
