On Tuesday evening, the Ohio Senate passed a major piece of pro-life legislation dubbed the “heartbeat bill,” reports the Associated Press. The legislation would ban abortions on babies with a beating heart, which can be detected as early as six weeks.
Though critics of the bill are predicting it will be overturned, Republican senators are more optimistic in light of the stunning win of Republican Donald Trump.
“State Senate President Keith Faber, a Republican, said the twice-defeated bill came back up again because of Donald Trump’s presidential victory and the expectation he will fill Supreme Court vacancies with justices who are more likely to uphold stricter abortion bans,” notes the AP.
“I think it has a better chance than it did before,” stated Faber.
Pro-lifers, while cautious that the bill may be overturned, are thrilled with the news.
“Cincinnati Right to Life, the entire statewide Ohio pro-life coalition, and all else who have supported the Unborn Heartbeat Protection bill the past several years thanks and congratulates the Ohio Senate on this momentous vote,” applauded Paula Westwood, executive director of the Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati. “We look forward to passage of H.B. 493 with Heartbeat protection amendment in the Ohio House, and Governor Kasich’s immediate support.”
Abortion advocates are predictably outraged of the news that babies with beating hearts might not be allowed to be terminated.
“This bill would effectively outlaw abortion and criminalize physicians that provide this care to their patients,” whined Kellie Copeland, the NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio executive director. (And by “provide care,” Copeland means taking the life of a baby with a beating heart.)
The bill will have an exception for the extremely rare case of a mother’s life being in danger.