The Ohio House of Representatives has passed an abortion bill that would ban abortions after the first fetal heartbeat is detected, according to The Associated Press.
The piece of legislation is called the “heartbeat bill.” It was passed 59-35 in the House and will move on to the Ohio Senate.
It means that the ban on abortions could apply to mothers as early as six weeks into their pregnancy.
“We know that when a heartbeat stops,” she added, “we’ve lost a human life.”
“The point is, it’s time. It doesn’t matter if the governor is with us or against us,” Hagan told the paper. Gov-elect Mike DeWine, Ohio’s Republican attorney general, who is slated to take office in a few months, said he would sign such a “heartbeat” bill.”
The bill has been strongly opposed by many Democrats and groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice, the Daily News reported.
The Daily News reported that in 2017, there were 20,893 induced abortions in Ohio, which is a 1 percent increase from 2016. Of those abortions, more than 11,000 were performed at nine weeks or less and 6,084 at between nine and 12 weeks.