(WLIO) - It has been two months since Ohio has enacted its abortion law, but the fight is far from over. Governor Mike DeWine signed into the law The Heartbeat Bill in 2019, but it took effect the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade back in June. The Heartbeat Bill will criminally charge doctors who perform abortions after a heartbeat is detected which usually occurs around six weeks unless there is a concern over the health of the mother. State lawmakers have introduced more legislation concerning abortion in the state. Some involve an outright ban of abortion and others to regulate the procedure. Abortion rights have been a major topic around the state and the country, DeWine says the topic will be discussed after the election.
“But there is a lot of issues that have been raised and that is what we have a legislature for. That’s what we have a debate that is really occurring. Maybe not a formal debate, but it is going on across the state,” adds DeWine. “So, the legislature will be back in November, and we will look at those issues then.”
There is a lawsuit before the Ohio Supreme Court filed by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU that challenge the Heartbeat Bill. The state has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, but major cities around Ohio have filed their own motion asking justices to reject the state's request.
