Supreme Court upholds Indiana’s abortion burial requirements

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld an Indiana law requiring abortion providers to treat aborted babies’ bodies in the same way as other human remains. The court in the 7-2 ruling said Indiana can require providers to either bury or cremate the bodies, reversing a federal appeals court ruling. In the majority opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the Indiana provision promotes “a state’s compelling interest in preventing abortion from becoming a tool of modern-day eugenics.” Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissented.

The court declined to hear the state’s appeal of a lower court block on a provision that protects unborn babies from abortions based on race, gender, or disability. The justices indicated their decision “expresses no view on the merits.”