— Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels said Friday he will sign a bill restricting abortions and making Indiana the first state to cut off all government funding for Planned Parenthood, a move likely to beef up his credentials among social conservatives as he considers whether to run for president.
Daniels said he supported the abortion restrictions from the outset and that the provision added to defund Planned Parenthood did not change his mind. He said women’s health, family planning and other services will remain available.
“The principle involved commands the support of an overwhelming majority of Hoosiers,” Daniels said in a statement announcing his intention to sign the bill when it arrives on his desk in about a week.
But doing so also puts Daniels’ state at risk of losing $4 million a year in federal family planning grants likely to be cut off because of the legislation. Daniels, known as a fiscal hawk, did not address the loss in his statement.
Daniels said he has ordered Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration to ensure that Medicaid recipients receive prompt notice of nearby care options.
“Any organization affected by this provision can resume receiving taxpayer dollars immediately by ceasing or separating its operations that perform abortions,” Daniels said.
Planned Parenthood of Indiana had urged Daniels to veto the bill and started a series of statewide rallies against it Friday.
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