A pro-family organization has issued an action alert to pro-life Ohioans informing them that the Ohio State House of Representatives has scheduled a floor vote Thursday on a bill that would ban abortions after the point at which an unborn baby develops a detectable heartbeat.
House Bill 258, also known as the “heartbeat bill,” would save thousands of unborn babies’ lives, said the alert, put out by Citizens for Community Values (CCV).
“The Heartbeat Bill would prohibit abortion once a heartbeat is detected, effectively saving thousands of unborn children every year. Contact your representative now and urge them to vote yes to confirm a veto-proof majority,” CCV posted on its website.
Passing with a veto-proof super majority would be necessary since Ohio Gov. John Kasich opposes the legislation.
A similar bill passed through both houses of the Ohio Legislature but Kasich vetoed it in December 2016. Kasich, a Republican, has signed 18 pro-life bills into law during his eight years in office, including one that bans abortions after 20 weeks.
Critics say the bill would make Ohio the most restrictive state on abortion and it would likely be struck down in the federal courts. But now that the U.S. Supreme Court has a conservative majority, a challenge to such a law could work its way all the way up to the high court, potentially even serving as a test case for whether the Supreme Court wants to re-evaluate Roe vs. Wade.
The Ohio Legislature’s passage of the previous heartbeat bill in late 2015 resulted in liberal protests in Columbus and other cities.
The bill’s primary sponsors this time around are Rep. Christina Hagan (R-Marlboro) and Rep. Ron Hood (R-Ashville). The bill does include an exception for the life of the mother.
“The pro-life Heartbeat Bill (H.B. 258) is scheduled for a floor vote tomorrow, Thursday Nov. 15th, in the Ohio House of Representatives – and YOUR Representative needs to hear from you!” CCV wrote on its Facebook page.
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Anthony Accardi is a writer and reporter for The Ohio Star.
