West Lafayette city councilman David Sanders announced he will dedicate his council salary to city employees who need to travel for abortion care.
The announcement came after a city council meeting that largely centered around various West Lafayette budget matters.
Sanders said it was unclear whether West Lafayette could offer reimbursement through its insurance - but he was looking into options.
“I’m interested in trying to help city employees find a way to get their transportation paid for pregnancy-related health services that they will no longer be able to obtain in the state of Indiana,” he said.
According to Sanders, city council members are paid roughly $800 dollars a month.
Sanders was not the only council member whose thoughts turned to the looming state abortion restrictions as the meeting wrapped up.
Council member Ted Hardesty, who represents students at Purdue University, said students are afraid of the impact Indiana’s new law will have on their lives. He called on Tippecanoe County Prosecutor Patrick Harrington to announce whether he plans to enforce the state’s near-total abortion ban.
“Many students have been organizing the last few weeks trying to get Prosecutor Harrington to make a statement about SB1,” he said. “So far, we have heard nothing from his office.”
Hardesty pointed to Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, who has said he would not file charges over abortions, as an example.
“Of course the state will almost undoubtedly try and overrule the prosecutor in Marion County, but that doesn’t mean we do not deserve to hear from Pat Harrington on his position on SB1,” he said.
Hardesty said many of the students he speaks to come from out of state and were unaware of the upcoming ban.
“Their initial reaction is kind of terrifying to watch,” he said. “People shaken. Worried about what that will mean for them, what that will mean for their friends. It’s hard.”
Indiana’s abortion restrictions take effect on Sept. 15.
