'Heartbeat Bill' Bans Abortion Before Pregnancy Test

RedTracker| Pro-life Ohio Republicans will hear testimony today on a bill called The Heartbeat Bill,  legislation that will assuredly force a final Supreme Court decision on Roe vs. Wade.

The bill would ban abortions in Ohio once there is evidence that a fetus has a heartbeat. While this event can occur as early as 18 days for some women, it would impact most pregnant women by the sixth week of pregnancy.

Plans by Faith2Action call for bringing a pregnant woman before the House Health Committee and projecting her uterus onto a screen promise a dynamic discussion in a state where Republicans control both houses of government and the governor’s chair. The image will show the nine-week old fetus’ heartbeat in color.

Ohio Right to Life is promoting the fetus as the youngest-ever legislative witness to come before the House committee, celebrating the events with lots of red heart-shaped balloons for the ‘Have a Heart’ campaign.

This is the most stringent anti-abortion legislation introduced in a state legislature to date.

Currently, the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade mandates that a woman has the right to abort a fetus until it is ‘viable’, meaning that it’s “potentially able to live outside the mother’s womb, albeit with artificial aid.” It’s only at the point of viability — usually placed at about seven months that a state can restrict abortion.

Not all pro-life groups are in favor or the bill, because it goes to the heart of Roe vs Wade, forcing a decision on the rights of the woman vs a fetus.

In reality, the legislation could restrict abortion even before the woman knows she is pregnant, making her without question the ‘incubator’ that she has been called by former pro-life Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak.