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Ohio House Committee Passes Heartbeat Bill

Yesterday, the Ohio House Health and Aging Committee voted 12 to 11 on the “Heartbeat Bill” (HB 125) that would require women seeking abortions to undergo an ultrasound and prevent them from obtaining abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected. The bill does not make an exception for cases of rape or incest.

Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, stated, “It’s obvious this committee is a lot more interested in making headlines than in giving women better access to health care or doing something to bring jobs to the state or trying to fix the state’s budget mess.”

Although the bill received the necessary votes to move to the Ohio House floor, House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) stated that he wanted consult with medical experts before the bill proceeds.

Sources:

National Partnership for Women and Families 3/31/11; Dayton Daily News 3/30/11; NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio 3/14/11

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