The nation’s most aggressive abortion legislation has split not only Athens County’s representatives but also Ohio’s once unified anti-abortion movement.
Ohio House Bill 125 — or the “heartbeat bill” — has been a contentious piece of legislation in the Ohio Senate after it passed in the Ohio House of Representatives last June. The bill — which has divided the support of its original backer, Ohio Right to Life — would make any abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected illegal.
Right to Life is now neutral regarding the heartbeat bill.
State Sen. Troy Balderson, R-20th, and State Rep. Debbie Phillips, D-92nd — both in the House when the heartbeat bill was introduced — voted on opposite sides of the isle last year.
Though the bill passed in the House, Phillips said she hopes further review will keep it from passing.
“I believe it is unconstitutional and way too extreme,” Phillips said, adding that the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which ruled that abortion falls under a person’s right to privacy under the 14th Amendment, was not taken into account when the bill was written.
Balderson, who has voted in favor of all Ohio’s anti-abortion legislation, believes in the bill’s goal even though it has created a tear in the anti-abortion community, the senator’s spokesman Joshua Eck said.
Now in the Ohio Senate, Balderson is still in full support of the concept, Eck said.
“Though the extent of the bill is concerning, Balderson still thinks this type of bill is necessary,” Eck said.
Ohio Senate President Tom Niehaus, R-14th, halted the bill at the end of December to look over amendments to the bill and give the senate more time to explore all options.
Almost 20 amendments have been made to the bill since it entered the Ohio Senate, which has created widening uncertainty on an already contentious issue, he added.
“Our goal is to do our due diligence, understand why we have a group that normally would be supportive but has split into two factions,” Niehaus said.
Many of the bill’s supporters, such as Ohio ProLife Action, have scheduled hearings and sent letters to Ohio senators to try to sway their decisions.
In early January, parents and children sent each senator a teddy bear with a beating heart inside, said Linda Theis, president of Ohio ProLife Action.
“We thought that the kids should have a voice too, and they were very excited to be a part of the cause,” Theis said.
After he entered the senate, Eck said Balderson agreed to further review of the bill to unite the anti-abortion caucus on the issue.
“Balderson will do whatever it takes to make sure the right choice is made, whether it is for the bill or not,” Eck said.
Though she already cast her vote on the bill, Phillips said she hopes senators listen to the support and opposition they have received and make the best decision for Ohio.
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