In a great stride to protect the sanctity of human life, the Ohio State Senate passed the “Heartbeat Bill” Wednesday that would ban abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The bill had already passed out of the Ohio House by a strong majority, but because the Senate amended the bill, it went back to the House. The House quickly passed the bill in concurrence, and it will now go to Gov. John Kasich—and his veto is likely. Ohio pro-life advocacy groups are hopeful the legislature will have time and be willing to convene for a veto override because of the magnitude of this bill’s importance.
Ohio’s action is one of the strongest pro-life legislative measures in the country because it would require an abdominal ultrasound to detect a heartbeat. When a heartbeat is detected (as early as 5-6 weeks), an abortion at that stage would be illegal. The bill also empowers the State Medical Board of Ohio to suspend physicians’ licenses for medical practitioners who are found to violate the law, even where there is not an associated criminal conviction. Democrat-proffered amendments that sought exemptions were also tabled, reportedly along party lines.
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