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Ohio Senate Passes Controversial Heartbeat Abortion Bill But It Still Has Some Hurdles

Protestors in the Ohio Senate chambers
Jo Ingles
Protestors in the Ohio Senate chambers

The Ohio Senate has passed a bill that bans abortion at the point a fetal heartbeat can be detected. But the vote was short by what lawmakers need to override an expected veto.

The so-called “Heartbeat Bill” passed the Senate 18 to 13. 20 votes are needed to override a veto, which Gov. John Kasich put on the same bill in 2016. And if he holds the bill the full ten days allowed before vetoing it, lawmakers couldn’t override it before Christmas. Republican Senate President Larry Obhof isn’t saying if three-fifths of his members could come back from holiday vacations for a vote. 

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it," Obhof says.

House Speaker Ryan Smith says he thinks his chamber has the votes to override.

Contact Jo Ingles at jingles@statehousenews.org.
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