Ohio governor signs ‘heartbeat’ abortion bill
ACLU vows legal fight over one of USA’s strictest bans
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Gov. Mike DeWine signed one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans into law Thursday afternoon and opponents have already pledged to take him to court.
DeWine, a Republican, said government’s role should be to protect life from beginning to end.
“The signing of this bill today is consistent with that respect for life and the imperative to protect those who cannot protect themselves,” DeWine said moments before signing the bill at the Ohio Statehouse, flanked by GOP legislative leaders and abortion opponents.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio already has promised to sue over the legislation, which would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected and prosecute doctors who perform them anyway. A fetal heartbeat can be detected as early as six weeks into a woman’s pregnancy, which can be before a woman finds out she’s pregnant.
The “heartbeat bill” passed the GOP-controlled Legislature on Wednesday amid protests from advocates of abortion access. DeWine signed the bill at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, making Ohio the sixth state to enact the ban.
Under the bill, doctors would face a fifth-degree felony punishable by up to a year in prison for performing an abortion after detecting a heartbeat. The bill has an exception to save the life of the woman but no exception for rape or incest – in line with current state law.
The legislation was crafted in Ohio, but it has gained momentum nationwide. Ohio is one of four states to pass the abortion ban in 2019 alone. A similar bill sits on Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk.