Gov. John Kasich has vetoed the so-called heartbeat bill, which would have given Ohio the nation's most restrictive abortion laws. (Photo: The Enquirer / Liz DuFour)
COLUMBUS — Gov. John Kasich rejected the so-called “heartbeat bill,” vetoing the GOP-passed legislation that would have given Ohio the strictest abortion ban in the nation.
Kasich did tighten Ohio's abortion laws by signing a bill that would prevent abortions after 20 weeks, when opponents of the procedure say fetuses can feel pain.
Many Republican lawmakers, emboldened by Donald Trump's recent election, wanted Kasich to sign the more restrictive ban, which would have prevented abortions after a fetal heartbeat was detected, after about six weeks’ gestation. GOP leaders like Senate Keith Faber saw an opportunity to overturn Roe v. Wade with new Trump-appointed, conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices.
But abortion opponents were not united. Ohio Right to Life and several Republican lawmakers opposed the six-week ban, saying it was already ruled unconstitutional in North Dakota and Arkansas. Why become the next state to spend millions of Ohio taxpayers' dollars defending a bill that federal judges would just reject?
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The 20-week ban will restrict access to abortion while still chipping away at Roe v. Wade, they argued. Neither bill included an exception for rape, incest or severe fetal anomalies. Both included an exception to save the life of a pregnant woman.
Very few abortions are performed after 20 weeks in Ohio. Last year, 145 abortions occurred at 21 weeks or later, according to Ohio Department of Health records. The 20-week ban will take effect in 90 days.
The law is the latest effort from Ohio's GOP-controlled legislature to restrict access to abortion in recent years. The state had 14 abortion clinics in 2013 and now has nine. Cincinnati has one surgical abortion clinic, Planned Parenthood clinic in Mount Auburn, and it nearly lost its license to operate last year.
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