Ohio Senate to renew fight for strict anti-abortion law

By AARON Marshall

The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS

Ohio Senate Republicans, under pressure from an anti-abortion group to act, will move a bill that bans abortions in Ohio once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, says Senate President Tom Niehaus.

The New Richmond Republican said this week that a four-month Senate impasse on the so-called “heartbeat” legislation has broken, and his caucus is prepared to move forward with committee hearings and eventual passage of the legislation. If the heartbeat bill becomes law and withstands any legal challenges, Ohio would have the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.

The legislation passed the Ohio House 54-44 on June 28 but has sat almost five months without even being referred to a Senate committee. The bill will be shipped to the Senate’s Health, Human Services and Aging Committee, where hearings will begin after a few more behind-the-scenes meetings with interested parties, according to Niehaus.

“I expect the bill will be moving to committee for deliberation,” said Niehaus.

He said the intent would be to eventually move the bill to the floor for passage, although he couldn’t say exactly what the timetable would be. The Senate is dominated by Republicans, who hold a 23-10 majority, and the GOP caucus is solidly anti-abortion.

Abortion-rights supporters have said the law outlaws abortions for women before they even know they are pregnant and vowed to fight it at every turn. Medical evidence suggests that the heartbeat of a fetus can be detected at about six weeks gestation.