Indiana made history last summer. Just a few months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the nearly 50-year-old decision of Roe v. Wade, the Indiana legislature became the first in the country to enact a new abortion ban. Senate Bill 1 stripped the licenses from abortion clinics and made abortions completely illegal except in the cases of a threat to the woman’s life, a threat to the fetus’ life, or if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest. In addition to these new restrictions, a ten week time limit was put in place.

The passing of SB1 set off months of protests, and most importantly, lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the bill. Organizations argued the bill violated the Indiana Constitution’s right to privacy and equal privileges protections. The court agreed and put a hold on the bill until a decision can be reached on the legitimacy of the lawsuits.

Beth Cate, chief legal counsel for the city of Bloomington, spoke strongly about the controversy surrounding the bill. “We oppose the policies reflected in SB1. We think they’re incredibly harmful to women and people who are capable of becoming pregnant,” Cate said.

Just last month, Bloomington officially reacted to SB1. Mayor John Hamilton’s office proposed a $100,000 appropriation of the general fund to go to an emergency reproductive health care program. The money will be allocated to local organizations based on the needs of the people they serve in the community. Service organizations that focus on reproductive health are the ideal candidates for the money. Once they apply, a five-member committee of community members will decide on their eligibility.

The ultimate  of this new budget plan is simple. “We want to do whatever we can to support city residents, and likely county residents as well, and really help people who are finding themselves in difficulty as a result of this law,” Cate said.

The same program has been approved for 2023.