Major pharmaceutical company looks to expand out of Indiana following abortion ban

Indiana-based pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced in a statement obtained by The Hill on Saturday that it would look to expand employment growth outside the state following the passage of a near-total ban on abortion.

The legislation, signed into law by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R), would bar the procedure except in cases of rape or incest before 10 weeks post-fertilization, if the pregnancy jeopardizes the safety of the mother or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality, according to The Associated Press.

The legislation also prohibits facilities other than hospitals, such as abortion clinics, from performing the procedure.

In the statement Eli Lilly said that the issue of abortion is sensitive and there is “no clear consensus among the citizens on Indiana.”

“Despite this lack of agreement, Indiana has opted to quickly adopt one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the United States. We are concerned that this law will hinder Lilly’s – and Indiana’s – ability to attract diverse scientific, engineering and business talent from around the world,” the company added.

Eli Lilly had previously expanded its employees’ health care coverage to pay for travel to access out-of-state abortion care. But the company said that might not be enough “for some current and potential employees.”

“As a global company headquartered in Indianapolis for more than 145 years, we work hard to retain and attract thousands of people who are important drivers of our state’s economy. Given this new law, we will be forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state,” the company concluded.

Indiana was the first state to enact new legislation restricting abortions following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, in which the high court found that abortion was a constitutional right.

Kansas voters on Tuesday rejected a ballot provision that would have given the state legislature the authority to ban abortion, a decision that was viewed as a possible bellwether of the national mood after the Supreme Court overturned Roe.