Senate leader suspends hearings on Ohio's 'heartbeat' bill

COLUMBUS (AP) — The leader of the Ohio Senate says he’s suspending hearings on a bill that would ban abortions at the first detectable fetal heartbeat, so that lawmakers can consider changing the measure.

If passed into law, the bill would impose the nation’s most-stringent abortion limit.

Ohio Senate President Tom Niehaus said today supporters of the bill gave him more than 20 proposed amendments.

He said in a statement that the revisions “only serve to create more uncertainty about a very contentious issue.”

Niehaus did not specify how much time is needed to weigh the revisions. He said he could not move forward on a bill that “has so far created more confusion than consensus.”

The legislation passed the GOP-led Ohio House in June. It’s been stalled in the Senate.