A visit to Bloomington by Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch has been postponed after at least one Bloomington group planned to protest outside a talk titled, “Empowering Women Leaders IN Indiana,” in response to the passage of SB1, which bans abortion in Indiana.
The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce said the following in a statement on Facebook Monday evening:
“In consultation with Bloomington Women in Leadership (BWIL) leaders, Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce President Eric Spoonmore has announced the Lieutenant Governor’s event on August 9 will be postponed to a future date to be determined.”
The group organizing the protest, “Concerned Hoosiers,” released the following statement Monday evening:
“We keep our message strong and clear:
We will not go silently into the night. Until the Governor, LG, and the Republican Excessive-Majority recognize the disempowerment and dehumanization of women and girls that is the result of them passing SB1, we cannot stand by and give this hypocrisy a bully pulpit. While we are heartened to see this event has been “postponed” we hope it will be canceled and in its place the Chamber will consider holding an event discussing the challenges SB1 will bring to the economic vitality of our community and state that is truly empowering to women. We, too, will postpone our event until further notice. But we will continue mobilizing in multiple ways to right this terrible wrong of SB1. Stay tuned!”
EARLIER STORY:
A protest is planned Tuesday for Indiana Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch’s private Bloomington visit after the Indiana legislature passed a near-total abortion ban last Friday. The Lt. Governor is giving a speech entitled, “Empowering Women Leaders in Indiana,” sponsored by the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, and other local groups.
The Indiana GOP supermajority in the legislature shoved abortion ban bill SB1 through both the Indiana House of Representatives, and the Indiana Senate, which is effectively a total ban on women’s constitutional right to abortion. Some exceptions were put in the bill for rape, incest, the potential death of the mother, and fetal abnormalities, but doctors could face stiff penalties for performing abortions. The bill also strips the license to perform abortions from clinics across the state.
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed the bill within minutes of its passage late Friday night.
The protest is being planned Tuesday at 11 a.m., outside the Graduate Hotel on Kirkwood, according to a press release from, “Concerned Hoosiers.”
Eli Lilly has already threatened to expand outside the state of Indiana, and Cummins has also expressed opposition to the law, which takes effect in September. Both major Indiana employers said the restrictive law will make it harder to attract the best and brightest employees to their companies.
However, some Indiana conservatives have expressed in Facebook comments they will be happy to see Eli Lilly, and other major employers, leave the state entirely if they don’t like the new law.
In June, a conservative majority on the Supreme Court struck down the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling and left abortion laws up to individual states. Indiana is the first to pass a new ban since the ruling.
Here is the text of a press release sent to the Bloomingtonian:
“Press Release:
After staying silent on SB1 – a near-total abortion ban that puts Hoosier lives at risk – the Greater Bloomington Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch at a private luncheon at the Graduate Hotel on Tuesday, August 9 at 11:30. Lt. Gov. Crouch will be giving a talk on “Empowering Women Leaders IN Indiana.” This talk is a slap in the face of all Hoosier women after the Indiana State House voted on Saturday to take away access to safe, compassionate, and evidence-based reproductive healthcare. We call on the Chamber to rescind this invitation, sponsors to pull out of the event, invitees to decline to show up, and we ask Bloomington business owners to stand up in support of women and girls’ basic rights.
Concerned Hoosiers will assemble at 11 am outside the Graduate Hotel on August 9 at 11 am to discuss what it means to empower women leaders and to make our voices heard.”
