Priority bills for Gov. Holcomb to sign
Last week, the Indiana legislature passed the following bills in both the House and the Senate: HB 1041, HB 1190, HB 1217, and SB 11. Indiana Family Institute has been working to support them and are excited to share this news with you all.
But our work is not yet complete. The bills are heading to Governor Holcomb’s desk and must be signed before they are put into law. We need your help to contact Holcomb and ask him to support these critical pieces of legislation.
HB 1041 protects the existence of female-only sports and the opportunities for female athletes in Indiana. With the new reality of biological males posing as females and competing in women’s sports, girls are forced to compete against those who carry an unfair biological advantage. Many other states in the U.S. have passed similar legislation, and we are honored to support the rights of female athletes and help save women’s sports.
HB 1190 requires colleges in Indiana to protect the free speech rights of their students and requires universities to publish standards and rules regarding freedom of speech for all student organizations. Our constitution guarantees freedom of speech in the First Amendment, but there are some that would rather promote censorship and dictate what can and cannot be said. A free society cannot flourish without liberty, especially when it comes to speech, and we must ensure that students are not censored by their institution of learning.
HB 1217 penalizes those who coerce a woman into having an abortion and results in a felony. Women seeking an abortion must be informed that coerced abortions are illegal, and abortion clinics are required to report instances of coercion to law enforcement. Planned Parenthood has spoken out on its opposition to this bill claiming that it harms more women than helps, but studies show that not to be the case. Every life has value, and no woman should ever feel the need to end her child’s life out of fear or desperation.
SB 11 allows significant historical and educational documents containing religious language to be displayed on state property. Documents such as the Declaration of Independence and Washington’s Farewell Address chronicle our nation’s history and the men and women who came before us, honoring the sacrifices that led to the rights and privileges we enjoy today. Displaying historical documents is important for the education of all Hoosiers and it allows us to encourage, embrace, and be proud of our national heritage.
Please visit the attached links and tell Governor Holcomb to sign these bills into law. With your help, we can save women’s sports, protect free speech, end coerced abortions, and display our nation’s history all across our beautiful state.