31 Mar 2011 11:03 am
Bill Against Abortion Rights Clears Ohio House Panel By 1 VoteCOLUMBUS--A bill against abortion rights that even some opponents of abortion say goes too far in today's legal environment cleared a legislative hurdle by a scant one vote Wednesday on its way to a possible vote of the full House.The so-called Heartbeat Bill, which would ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, passed the House Health and Aging Committee by a vote of 12-11.It would be the most restrictive abortion law in the nation, closing the window for a legal abortion to roughly six weeks after conception.Supporters expect the law to be challenged in court and hope it will give the U.S. Supreme Court the tool to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision."This is our moment to do what we've been working for, praying for, hoping for for 38 years," Janet Folger-Porter, president of Faith2Faith and a former legislative director for Ohio Right to Life, told the committee."... I encourage you to vote for House Bill 125, the Heartbeat Bill, to ensure that once a heartbeat is detected, the baby will be protected. It's our best chance to save the most lives."However, the board of Ohio Right to Life fears the bill would invite the high court to strike down Ohio's law, reaffirm Roe, and set back opponents of abortion rights at a time when the organization is pushing other, less-restrictive bills it believes will pass constitutional muster."I'm not normally the kind of person to back down from a fight, but sometimes you have to," said Rep. Lorraine Fende (D., Willowick), a Democrat who voted against the bill in committee. "I'm just concerned that if this loses, it will strengthen Roe vs. Wade."The Heartbeat Bill makes an exception for cases in which the life of the mother is endangered, but a doctor who performs any other abortion once the heartbeat of a fetus is detected using standard medical practice would be guilty of a fifth-degree felony.That would carry a sentence of up to a year in prison and a $2,500 fine.Before voting, the committee removed a provision of the original bill that also would have provided for an exception when the health -- and not just the life -- of the mother is endangered.The committee voted down Democratic amendments to add an exception for women who are victims of rape or incest.The committee also defeated an amendment offered by Rep. Todd McKenney (R., Akron) to delay the effective date of the law to the end of 2012 in hopes that any court challenge it might attract would not interfere with another abortion law backed by Right to Life that passed a Senate committee Wednesday.That bill would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of gestation. Currently, an abortion in Ohio is legal through the entire nine months of pregnancy.Two Republicans joined all Democrats in opposition to the bill, which was sponsored by the committee's chairman, Rep. Lynn Wachtmann (R., Napoleon). All members of the committee from northwest Ohio -- Reps. Wachtmann, Barbara Sears (R., Monclova Township), Randy Gardner (R., Bowling Green), and Bruce Goodwin (R., Defiance) -- supported the bill.http://toledoblade.c...-by-1-vote.htmlRepublicans are wasting time passing laws like this in hopes that they will be challenged.Is this what they campaigned on? Edited by MistyBlue, 31 March 2011 - 11:18 AM.