COLUMBUS — With an “abortion stops a beating heart” bumper sticker held high above her head, Janet Porter’s voice boomed over the more than 600 heartbeat-bill supporters at the Statehouse yesterday, calling them to put an end to “abortion on demand.”
“We need to reverse this bumper sticker to say, ‘A beating heart stops abortion,’” she yelled amid cries of “amen” and “yes” from the sea of red standing in front
of her.
Advocates of the bill, which would ban abortions once a heartbeat is detected about six or seven weeks into pregnancy, packed the Statehouse atrium, rallying supporters to get their senators to vote in favor of the
bill.
“We have to expedite it and whip the troops into action,” said Jack Willke, president of International Right to Life and founder of National and Ohio Right to Life. “The enthusiasm in the room was palpable.”
The GOP-led house approved the bill in June, but it has not yet gone to a senate committee.
“Our caucus is a pro-life caucus, but there are some concerns about the division between the pro-life community on this issue, so we are going to take our time,” said John McClelland, spokesman for Senate President Tom Niehaus.
Despite the wait for Senate, Porter said she is confident the bill will be approved, as well.
“We’re undaunted,” she said. “People stand up for life.”
Among those standing up for life was 77-year-old Marilyn Dowler, dressed head to toe in red, who said she supports the bill because she loves children.
“These are God’s babies, and this is his bill,” said Dowler, of Marion, Ohio. “I feel that God had tears for the killing of babies.”
The rally, filled with prayer and inspiration from leaders of various anti-abortion groups, ended as the sea of red dispersed throughout the Statehouse, grabbed red balloons from a vase of some 99 dozen, to hand deliver to their senators for the cause.
—Alex Stuckey is a fellow in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Statehouse News Bureau
as218907@ohiou.edu
