Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has taken a swing against abortion by signing a new bill into law this week that ensures doctors must attempt to save the lives of babies who are born alive followed a failed abortion procedure.
The bill, labeled Senate Bill 157, is also called the “Born-Alive Infant Protection Act” and also codifies reporting all babies who are born alive after an abortion, according to a report from The Hill.
Gov. DeWine also preceded signing this “born alive” bill by signing a “heartbeat bill” into law in 2019, which bans abortions after fetal cardio activity is identified. In other words, abortions are banned in Ohio once a heartbeat is detected.
However, according to information reported from Ohio Life, that bill was attacked in a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood, and because of challenges brought against the bill in court, it has still not gone into effect.
Additionally, Ohio’s new “born-alive” bill will also require practicing medical doctors to submit a “child survival form” in the event that a baby is born alive after an abortion or face a third-degree felony charge, The Hill reported.
Ohio’s bold move to stop the killing of babies who are born alive seems like common sense to many people, but opponents of pro-life legislation will likely argue that this may restrict access to abortion procedures and somehow violate a “woman’s right” to choose to terminate the life of her unborn child.
Recently, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled to allow the “heartbeat” bill in Texas to stand, a bill that bans abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy, which is typically when a gestational heartbeat is detected. In light of that ruling, it looks like a new precedent for protecting life in the womb may be inching closer.
For pro-abortion activists, the prospect of a woman being unable to kill an unborn baby is a negative thing, but for pro-life advocates, the ruling from SCOTUS in the recent Texas case is a massive win and a potential step forward in snuffing out Roe v. Wade, which paved the way for legalizing abortions in 1973.
Will Ohio’s “born alive” bill be killed or crippled in the courts as their previous heartbeat bill was in 2019? Possibly, but the winds are shifting, and SCOTUS’ ruling on Texas’ heartbeat bill has given many pro-life advocates hope that there is a path forward for protecting the unborn.
