Ohio Legislature Sends Heartbeat Abortion Bill To Governor’s Desk

The Ohio General Assembly passed a bill banning abortions in the presence of a fetal heartbeat and sent it to the governor’s desk for approval.

The bill passed the House Wednesday in a 56-39 vote, shortly after which the state Senate voted 18-13 to approve House changes to the bill, the Dayton Daily News reported.

The bill bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected and fines physicians up to $20,000 if they violate the law. A heartbeat usually becomes detectable between six and nine weeks in pregnancy.

The bill advanced through the Ohio House Health Committee Tuesday. During the committee’s hearing on the bill, Democratic state Rep. Janine R. Boyd proposed an amendment allowing the exemption of black women. Boyd says their “history includes rape and forced birth imposed on enslaved women and black women after slavery,” according to her website. The committee rejected the amendment 11-7.

The heartbeat bill essentially prohibits all abortions, according to maternal fetal medicine specialist Dr. Michael Cackovic of Ohio State University Medical Center, The Associated Press reported. “You’re going to be doing more procedures and subjecting women to more procedures and medications to get abortions, because they’re rushing between that four and five weeks to get it accomplished,” Cackovic said.

Democratic state Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan also expressed worry over the bill. “I’m concerned that we will have companies that will choose not to locate here due to our oppressive laws. I’m concerned that doctors will leave the state of Ohio,” she said, according to the AP.

Republican state Rep. Candice Keller applauded the move, calling the legislation “the most compassionate bill we’ve ever passed,” the AP reported.

Pro-life groups also applauded the bill’s passage. “Since 1973, countless unborn children have lost their lives to abortion in Ohio. Thanks to the compassion and commitment of the Ohio General Assembly, the Buckeye State will end this atrocity,” Citizens for Community Values President Aaron Baer said in a statement. CCV is a pro-life group that advocates for public policy reflecting the truth of the Gospel, according to its Twitter.

Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has 10 days to sign, veto or allow the bill to take effect without a signature. He has previously signaled he will sign the legislation.

Former Republican Gov. John Kasich vetoed heartbeat bills in 2016 and 2018.

Kentucky passed a bill on March 13 prohibiting abortions in the presence of a fetal heartbeat. It passed another bill on March 19 banning abortions on the basis of race, sex or disability. A federal judge on March 27 indefinitely barred both bills from being enforced.

The Tennessee House on March 7 passed a bill to ban abortions after an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detected. Georgia’s House and Senate also passed a heartbeat bill that is awaiting Republican Gov. Matt Bevin’s signature. The Missouri House passed a heartbeat bill in late February.

Governors in Arkansas, North Dakota, Iowa, Mississippi and Kentucky have signed bills outlawing abortion in the presence of a fetal heartbeat. All the abortion bans, however, have remained ineffective following court orders prohibiting enforcement, according to Cleveland.com.