Indiana representative who carried controversial 2024 birth control bill retires post-primary

The Indiana House Democrat who carried a controversial birth control bill during the 2024 legislative session announced Monday morning her immediate retirement from the Statehouse, just days after running unopposed in Indiana’s primary last week.

State Rep. Rita Fleming, D-Jeffersonville, is a retired ob-gyn who was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2018. During her career in the Statehouse, Fleming carried several bills related to women’s health care, including a 2022 bill Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law that prevents pregnant prison inmates from being shackled while they are in labor.

Fleming, in a statement Monday, said she has been honored to serve in the Statehouse but looks forward to spending more time with her family, including her 15 grandchildren.

“Legislative sessions are long up at the Statehouse in Indianapolis and it takes a lot of work to properly represent House District 71,” Fleming said in the statement. “It’s time for me to retire from my post as state representative and focus on my family.”

Democrats will have to hold two special elections, known as caucuses, to fill both the remainder of Fleming’s term in the House and the now-vacant spot on November ballots.

Fleming’s retirement announcement comes after a contentious legislative session debate earlier this year on a bill she carried that requires hospitals to offer Medicaid-eligible women access to subdermal long-acting, reversible contraceptives after giving birth in a hospital. It drew rare infighting among Democrats in the House and Senate.

From March: A Statehouse fight over birth control shows how divided Indiana is on reproductive issues

The bill, which Holcomb signed into law in March, as originally introduced did not specify a specific type of contraceptive to provide eligible new mothers. But during a Senate committee hearing, lawmakers shared that anti-abortion group Indiana Right to Life lobbied for intrauterine devices, known as IUDs, to be carved out of the legislation due to the false claim that IUDs cause abortions.

Much of the outcry and frustration from Senate Democrats about the removal of IUDs fell on Fleming, who was the main lawmaker carrying the bill. Fleming also grew frustrated about how controversial the bill became, writing in a news release in early March that the anger about IUDs was missing the potential positive impacts the bill could have on the state’s maternal mortality and health statistics.

What Fleming’s retirement means for November

After a challenging legislative session, Fleming, who is one of few Statehouse Democrats in southern Indiana, was likely facing another difficult reelection campaign with former President Donald Trump on top of general election ballots this November. The former president handily won every county south of Monroe County in 2020, including Clark County, where Fleming lives.

After first winning her seat in 2018, Fleming was reelected in 2020 and 2022. Her 2022 win over her Republican opponent, however, was so narrow that it required a canvass of votes by the Clark County Election Board.

Scott Hawkins, who lost that 2022 race to Fleming, won the Republican primary last week and was set to face Fleming again in November.

Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Rep. Rita Fleming retires after birth control bill causes flap