The Ohio Senate has approved a bill pro-life advocates support that would ban late-term abortions. The Ohio Right to Life supported bill passed today by a 24 to 8 vote with overwhelming bipartisan support.
For background, read 'Late-Term' Abortion Redefined: Fetal Pain and also read Pro-life Legislation Floods America
-- From "Ohio Senate passes bill limiting late abortion" posted at Reuters 4/6/11
A bill that would require doctors to determine the viability of an unborn child if a woman seeks an abortion after 20 weeks passed the Ohio Senate on Wednesday.
[Executive director of Ohio Right to Life, Mike] Gonidakis said a doctor seeking to perform an abortion has to determine viability at 20 weeks and get a second opinion from another doctor, and abortion would not be allowed if the fetus was found capable of surviving outside the womb. Exceptions would be made if the pregnant woman faces death or severe health impairment, Gonidakis said.
The bill passed by a 24-8 vote in the Republican-majority Senate. The Ohio House also has a Republican majority.
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From "Ohio Senate OKs Late-Term Abortion Ban Pro-Life Group Backs" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 4/6/11
. . . The measure also contains language making it clear a mental health exception can’t be used to get around the ban — especially since a substantial amount of research shows abortions pose mental health risks for women.
S.B. 72, sponsored by Senator Peggy Lehner, a Dayton Republican and 15 additional co-sponsors, would save countless lives every year in the state of Ohio, and would be the most important piece of pro-life legislation Ohio has passed in years.
Ohio Right to Life expects S.B. 72 to move to the House of Representatives soon, where the Ohio House Health and Aging Committee approved a companion version of the bill in March. H.B. 78 is sponsored by Rep. Joe Uecker (R -Loveland) and Rep. Kristina Roegner (R-Cuyahoga Falls).
Abortions have gone down in Ohio, with the state health department reporting 28,721 in 2009, down three percent from the 2008 abortion total and the ninth straight year of decline. Since 2000, abortions are down 40 percent in the state.
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Also read Abortion 'Heartbeat' Bill Moves in Ohio House