Ohio Lawmakers Pass Bill Banning Abortion After a Heartbeat Is Detected

The Ohio legislature has approved a bill that would ban abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks after conception.

The bill now goes to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is anti-abortion but has opposed the measure in the past due to questions of constitutionality. He has not yet said whether he will sign or line-veto the bill. Similar bans have been passed in Arkansas and North Dakota, but both laws were found to be unconstitutional.

While some opponents of the bill have expressed confidence that it would be found to be unconstitutional, others are concerned that such laws could become viable were President-elect Trump to place more conservatives on the Supreme Court during his tenure in the White House.

[Columbus Dispatch]