Ohio lawmakers reintroduce ‘heartbeat’ abortion bill

Ohio legislators on Tuesday reintroduced a “heartbeat bill,” which bans abortion if a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as six weeks into the pregnancy. 

The bill, introduced in the state Senate by Kristina Roegner (R) and in the state House of Representatives by Ron Hood (R) and Candice Keller (R), will likely have the support of the state’s governor.

{mosads}Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said in January that he would “absolutely” sign the heartbeat bill that was previously vetoed by former-Gov. John Kasich (R). 

The Senate version of the bill is similar to the bill Kasich vetoed in December, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.  

The Ohio Planned Parenthood chapter condemned the bill’s introduction. 

“The early introduction of the SB 23, the unconstitutional six-week abortion ban, highlights the misguided and dangerous priorities of our state legislators,” the organization tweeted. This bill seeks to ban abortion before most people know they’re pregnant. It’s shameful. #StopTheBans

The early introduction of the SB 23, the unconstitutional six-week abortion ban, highlights the misguided and dangerous priorities of our state legislators. This bill seeks to ban abortion before most people know they’re pregnant. It’s shameful. #StopTheBans https://t.co/8Zn5FyxcJY

— Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio (@PPAOhio) February 12, 2019

 Anti-abortion organizations praised the bill. 

“Ohio has the opportunity to protect the most vulnerable in our society by enacting the Heartbeat Bill,” Aaron Baer, president of Citizens for Community Values, a religious, anti-abortion group, said in a press release.  “Ohioans sent a clear message in 2018 that this is a pro-life state.”