Ohio House Passes ‘Heartbeat Bill’ Banning Abortion At About 6 Weeks, Even Though Previous Attempts Were Vetoed
Republican Gov. John Kasich has blocked previous heartbeat bills, saying they would almost certainly be ruled unconstitutional in the courts. Right now advocates have 58 votes in the House, but they need more than 60 to override a gubernatorial veto.
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Ohio House Again Passes 'Heartbeat Bill' Abortion Ban
For the second time in as many years, the Ohio House on Thursday passed a “heartbeat bill” that would create some of the strictest anti-abortion rules in the country. House Bill 258, which passed the Republican-dominated House by a mostly party-line vote of 58-35, seeks to make Ohio the fourth state to ban abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected, except to prevent the mother from dying or being seriously impaired. That can be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy – in some cases, before a woman even realizes she is pregnant. (Pelzer, 11/15)
In other news —
Arizona Republic:
Planned Parenthood's Dr. Leana Wen Says Roe V Wade Could Be Eroded
Abortion should not be singled out or stigmatized because it is part of standard medical care, the new leader of Planned Parenthood said. "Abortion is a safe, legal medical procedure that one in four women in America will have in the course of their lifetime," said Dr. Leana Wen, the first physician to lead the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in nearly 50 years. ... Wen spent her third day on the job visiting Phoenix, meeting with Planned Parenthood Arizona and members of the public-health community. She told The Arizona Republic in an interview that that there is a "real probability" that the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade could be overturned or further eroded. (Innes, 11/15)
