Cincinnati, Ohio, Apr 11, 2019 / 14:07 pm
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Thursday signed a law banning abortion if a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Former Governor John Kasich had twice vetoed similar legislation.
"Government's role should be to protect life from the beginning to the end," DeWine said before signing the law, which is set to go into effect in July, according to Cleveland.com.
The Ohio House had voted 56-40 and the Senate 18-13 on Wednesday to send Senate Bill 23 to Gov. DeWine's desk. State Senator Kristina Roegner was the bill's primary sponsor.
The new law makes it a fifth-degree felony offense in Ohio to induce or perform an abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, except in a case of medical emergency. In addition, a doctor who performs an abortion could face sanctions and fines by the State Medical Board of Ohio, including the suspension of their medical license.