Home News DeWine Signs Bill 23 “The Heartbeat Bill” and Becomes Effective in 90...

DeWine Signs Bill 23 “The Heartbeat Bill” and Becomes Effective in 90 Days

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COLUMBUS – Today April 11,2019 Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that he has signed Senate Bill 23, the Human Rights and Heartbeat Protection Act, as passed by the Ohio Senate and Ohio House of Representatives. The bill will become effective 90 days after filing by the Secretary of State.

Earlier this year Dewine said if the bill crossed his desk he would sign the bill in a interview on a Christian radio show. DeWine said we may be in a fight against Planned Parenthood with a lawsuit and it would most likely end up in Supreme Court and they will have to make that decision.

Ohio Attorney General Yost issued the following statement, “Sometimes, the evolution of the law requires bold steps. In the last 46 years, the practice of medicine has changed. Science has changed. Even the point of viability has changed. Only the law has lagged behind. This law provides a stable, objective standard to guide the courts.”

The Ohio House recently voted 60-28 to approve the so-called “Heartbeat bill” that was vetoed by Governor Kaisch earlier in the year. The bill would have banned abortions after the fetal heartbeat was detected, pushing the ban to as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. Changes were made to the bill after the veto, adding exemptions for rape and incest as well as provisions for emergency contraception. However, the changes weren’t enough to win Kaisch’s approval, nor the Senate votes to override the veto, with the bill failing 19-13 – one vote shy of the number needed to approve the bill.

Kasich stated in response to the veto that the law was counter to current SOCTUS rulings, and would likely be the target of lawsuits.