Sykes: House passes strictest abortion ban in the nation during first week back at work

The Republican-controlled Ohio House today passed House Bill (HB) 258, legislation that would prohibit an abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which could be as early as six weeks of pregnancy— long before most women even know they are pregnant.

The so-called “heartbeat bill” also makes no exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest, though Ohio’s public universities saw a 66-percent increase in reported rapes in 2016 and the Buckeye State experience a nine-percent increase in rape in 2016, according to FBI crime statistics. Ohio Republicans have also refused to end Ohio’s statute of limitations for victims of rape.

“Making healthcare decisions for women and their families is not the role of government. But time and again, extremist policies restricting the rights of women to make their own healthcare decisions have been tried and ruled unconstitutional—all at taxpayer expense,” said House Democratic Whip Emilia Sykes (D-Akron). “Ohioans deserve better than this dangerous partisan agenda that harms women and families.

HB 258 would enact the most stringent abortion restrictions in the country and critics of the bill say its 6-week ban is unconstitutional.

Similar restrictions in Arkansas, North Dakota and Iowa have already been struck down by federal courts. Defending the law in court would cost Ohio taxpayers millions of dollars, according to recent reports.

The unprecedented “heartbeat bill” was added to the House Session calendar after Republican candidates swept Ohio’s top statewide offices during the midterm election.