Ohio Governor Vetoes "Heartbeat Bill" While Signing Another Restrictive Abortion Law
Ohio lawmakers failed to pass the state's controversial "heartbeat bill" on Thursday, with the Senate one vote short of overriding Republican Gov. John Kasich's veto.
The bill would make it illegal for women to receive abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can happen as early as six weeks. It would effectively ban abortion before many women even know they're pregnant, making it one of the most restrictive proposed abortion laws in the country. WOSU reports the bill also would not allow exceptions in cases of rape of incest.
The Hill reports that while Kasich vetoed the "heartbeat bill" last week, declaring it unconstitutional, he also signed a bill that would ban doctors from performing dilation and evacuation abortions, the most common procedure used in second-trimester abortions.
Kasich will be leaving his position in 2019, at which point incoming Gov. Mike DeWine will take over; DeWine has said he would sign a "heartbeat bill," if it were passed by the next state legislature. If passed, the law could end up going to the U.S. Supreme Court, where there now seems to be an anti-choice majority, thanks to the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. It remains to be seen whether the current Supreme Court would rule against a bill like this one, affirming Roe v. Wade.
CNN reports that Kasich has signed more than 20 laws restricting abortion access during the eight years he's been in office. Iris Harvey, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, told CNN, Kasich has "let the people of Ohio down by using extreme legislation to turn medical decision-making into political ideology."
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