Ohio passes ‘Heartbeat Bill’ to ban abortions the moment a heartbeat is detected

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On Tuesday, the Ohio Legislature sent the bill to Kasich’s desk after a day filled with legislative maneuvering. Earlier in the day, state Sen. Kris Jordan, a Republican from Ostrander, called for an amendment that added provisions from the House-sponsored “Heartbeat Bill” to another measure, House Bill 493, that sought to streamline the process in which medical professionals report child abuse situations. “We are a pro-life caucus…,” Jordan said in a statement. “The passage of this legislation in the Ohio Senate demonstrates our commitment to protecting the children of Ohio at every stage of life.” The Senate voted twice: First, they approved 20-11 the decision to tack on the “Heartbeat Bill” language onto House Bill 493. After the amendment passed, the state senators passed the bill with a 21-10 vote that largely went along party lines. Ohio state Sen. Charleta Tavares, a Columbus Democrat, had planned on voting for the child abuse bill, as originally presented, but ultimately voted against it because she opposed the “Heartbeat Bill” amendment and change in language. “I believe everyone has a right to their own body,” Tavares told CNN. “We allowed a good bill that protects the health and safety of our children to be bastardized into a government takeover of women’s wombs.” After the bill went back the House, state representatives easily approved the revised bill 56-39 on Tuesday night. It now goes to Kasich for his signature.

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