On behalf of a 19-state coalition, Attorney General Todd Rokita today asked the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a Texas pro-life law by rejecting President Joe Biden’s efforts to sideline that law. The law prohibits abortion when doctors can detect a fetal heartbeat and is seen as a model for use in other states.
“The federal government must respect the boundaries of states’ sovereign authority,” Attorney General Rokita said. “And that authority includes the ability under the Constitution to enact and enforce laws protecting the sanctity of unborn life.”
Last week, Attorney General Rokita led a successful 18-state amicus brief supporting the Texas law before a federal appeals court. After striking out at that level, the Biden administration this week asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block the law’s enforcement.
On behalf of Indiana and the sign-on states, Attorney General Rokita argues in his latest brief that the U.S. attorney general cannot sue states every time he believes a state law is unconstitutional.
Although this particular brief focuses on the limits of the federal government’s authority rather than the specific merits of the Texas law, Attorney General Rokita said he also will continue to defend the substance of pro-life laws.
“The right to life is foundational to American liberty,” Attorney General Rokita said. “In Indiana, Hoosiers will always rise to defend such God-given freedoms.”
The brief is attached.
