STATE OF INDIANA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Brian C. Bosma Speaker of the House THIRD FLOOR STATE HOUSE
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46204 Website: www.in.gov/h88 E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (317) 232-9657 July 17, 2015
The Honorable Mike Pence Governor of the State of Indiana 200 W. Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204
Dear Governor Pence,
We are writing to express our concerns regarding the recent revelations surrounding the sale of fetal body parts by Planned Parenthood and to share our support for the pending investigation into the abortion practices of Planned Parenthood within Indiana to ensure these crimes are not being committed within our state.
There have been many legitimate accusations leveled against Planned Parenthood after a video was published showcasing Dr. Deborah Nucatola, the senior director of medical services at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, discussing the organization’s practices regarding the treatment of fetal organs from their abortion procedures. These claims indicate that the organization may have been selling the fetal organs for a profit, a felony under federal law. In addition, there are also claims that Planned Parenthood may have actually altered the routine abortion process in an effort to better preserve the fetal tissue. These are only some of the allegations against Planned Parenthood after the video’s release, however we feel that these are among the most egregious and cannot be permitted to continue.
After hearing the revelations within the video, numerous members of Congress and Senators have called for hearings on Capitol Hill alongside an investigation into Planned Parenthood practices by the FBI and the Department of Justice. This call to action quickly sparked similar investigations in Texas, Louisiana, and now here in Indiana. We, as state elected officials, wish to formally declare our support for the planned investigation by the Indiana State Department of Health and the Office of the Indiana Attorney General to ensure that these practices are not taking place within our state. We also further request that our state, through all interested parties and departments, cooperate fully with the federal investigations in order to further underscore our concerns and responsibility to stop these egregious actions. Should the investigation reveal any need for legislative action, we will not hesitate to assist in any way necessary during the 2016 legislative session and will support the investigation in any we can.
We look forward to working with you throughout the investigation. It is our desire that there are no similar cases in our state, but we hope the Department of Health and the Attorney General’s office will take any action necessary to stop the practice should the investigation discover any. Thank you for your time and consideration on this shocking matter.
Sincerely,
Ron Bacon Brian Bosma Jud McMillin Kathy Richardson State Representative Speaker of the House State Representative State Representative
Curt Nisly Chris Judy Ben Smaltz Martin Carbaugh State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representative
Randy Truitt Kevin Mahan Ed Soliday Doug Gutwein State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representative
Wes Culver Bob Heaton Greg Beumer Mike Braun State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representative
Doug Miller Woody Burton Randy Frye Mike Karickhoff State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representative
Casey Cox Denny Zent Hal Slager John Price State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representative
Cindy Ziemke Matt Lehman Steve Davisson Don Lehe State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representative
Jim Lucas Dick Hamm Eric Koch Bill Fine State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representative
Robert Cherry Wendy McNamara Mike Speedy Julie Olthoff State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representative
Robert Behning Dave Frizzell Alan Morrison Dale Devon State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representative
James Baird Bill Friend Rhonda Rhoads Heath VanNatter State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representative
Cindy Kirchhofer Dan Lenonard Timothy Wesco Greg Steuerwald State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representative
Matt Ubelhor Tony Cook Jeff Thompson Dave Wolkins State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representatives
Lloyd Arnold Tim Brown Holli Sullivan Bob Morris State Representative State Representative State Representative State Representative
Donna Schaibley Bruce Borders State Representative State Representative