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Hoosiers rally for abortion rights on day special session was supposed to begin

People rallying in support of abortion rights stand outside the Statehouse holding signs and cheering. A speaker in front of the group holds a bullhorn and a sign, adorned with coat hangers, that reads "We will not go back."
Alan Mbathi
/
IPB News
Dozens of Hoosiers rallied outside the Statehouse to “keep the fire burning” in support of abortion rights on the day a special session of the legislature was supposed to begin.

Dozens of Hoosiers rallied outside the Statehouse Wednesday to “keep the fire burning” in support of abortion rights.

The rally marked the day Indiana lawmakers were supposed to meet in a special session. That got pushed back as Republicans craft an abortion ban in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning its long-standing abortion rights precedents.

Tracey Nix, one of the protesters, said she thinks the delay is meant to quiet some of the opposition to the impending anti-abortion measure.

“But it’s not going to go away. We’re not going to go away," Nix said. "We believe that women should have the right to choose what happens with their bodies.”

READ MORE: Health officials, legal experts wait to see how far Indiana legislature will go

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Mara Edwards was handing out water and sunscreen to protesters. She said Hoosiers need to stay informed about what lawmakers plan to do.

“Stay angry," Edwards said. "Stay vocal.”

Legislators plan to return to the Statehouse for the special session beginning July 25.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state. He previously worked at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri and WSPY in Plano, Illinois. His first job in radio was in another state capitol - Jefferson City, Missouri - as a reporter for three stations around the Show-Me State.