While Illinois moves to repeal its ban on “Partial Birth Abortion” procedures and expand abortion access to minors without needing the consent of an adult, Ohio is pushing a bill that would ban abortions after a baby has a detectable heartbeat.
LifeNews reports that Ohio’s new governor, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, has already said he will sign the legislation, Senate Bill 23, if it passes and with Republicans in control of both the state House and the state Senate, it looks like it will:
State lawmakers came close to passing the pro-life legislation in 2016 and 2018, but then-Gov. John Kasich vetoed both bills. This year, with Republicans in control of both state houses and new Gov. Mike DeWine saying he will sign the legislation, it looks like it will pass.
The Springfield News-Sun reports state Reps. Candice Keller and Ron Hood introduced a heartbeat bill Monday with 50 co-sponsors.
The bill would prohibit abortions after an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable, about six weeks of pregnancy, in Ohio. At this point, many women do not even know they are pregnant; so the legislation could protect almost all unborn babies in Ohio if it goes into effect.
Kasich before leaving office signed into law a bill in December that bans a common abortion procedure in second trimester abortions called "dilation and evacuation" or D&E. He shot down another attempt at the "heartbeat bill," however, arguing that it would not be upheld if challenged in court and would subject the state to a costly, drawn-out legal battle.
The first time he rejected the bill was in 2016.
This news comes as liberal Democrats continue to push for lifting restrictions on third-trimester abortions even up until birth, despite how the majority of Americans and even the majority of pro-choice Americans disapprove.