It’s close. Both chambers of the state legislature have now passed the so-called Heartbeat Bill, which would ban abortion after doctors can detect a fetal heartbeat. If Gov. John Kasich signs it, or allows it to become law by refusing to act, Ohio women will find it virtually impossible to access abortion.
Via WCMH-TV Columbus:
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio said the move would block access to abortion before most women even know they’re pregnant. “This bill would effectively outlaw abortion and criminalize physicians that provide this care to their patients,” said Kellie Copeland, the group’s executive director.
The Heartbeat Bill has existed in different iterations since it was originally introduced during Ohio’s 2011-2012 legislative session. But its supporters always had the same goal: banning abortion. “This is just flat out the right thing to do,” its current sponsor, state Rep. Kris Jordan (R), told the press. “It affords the most important liberty of all—the opportunity to live.”
The Heartbeat Bill does not provide an exception for rape or incest. It’s so extreme it even divided Ohio’s pro-life activists. Ohio Right to Life has refused to endorse the bill in any of its iterations, citing its probable unconstitutionality. Kasich refused to sign its earlier versions for similar reasons.
But the situation is different now. Jordan and his fellow extremists have attached it as an amendment to a child-welfare bill, and that puts Kasich in a difficult position. If he fails to act in 10 days, it automatically becomes law. Donald Trump is also president, and Republicans control both chambers of Congress. A conservative replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia could give the Heartbeat Bill a fighting chance if it ever reaches the nation’s highest court.