The ACLU of Indiana says it has no issue with Indiana University joining its lawsuit against the state over controversial anti-abortion legislation.
But the Indiana Attorney General’s office wants to block IU’s action.
The ACLU, on behalf of Planned Parenthood, filed suit last month seeking to block legislation that bans abortions performed solely because of a fetus’ potential disability, gender or race.
Indiana University also wants to challenge the law, specifically, a section that criminalizes the receiving of fetal tissue.
IU says its research on Alzheimer’s disease would be put in jeopardy by that ban. So the university is trying to join the ACLU’s lawsuit.
ACLU legal director Ken Falk says he has no objection to IU joining the case.
“I do not think the court will lose sight of which plaintiff is saying which part of the law is unconstitutional,” Falk says. “But I think it does make sense to have it resolved in one piece of litigation.”
The Attorney General’s office contends there are two distinct legal issues being argued by the two parties that should be in separate cases.
A hearing on the ACLU’s lawsuit is scheduled for June 14.
The law takes effect July 1.
