COLUMBUS, December 15, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – An Ohio bill aiming to become the most restrictive abortion law in the United States has been put on hold after the state’s Senate leader said the issue was being confused by a number of amendments supporters hoped to add to the bill.
The heartbeat measure would ban abortion after the unborn child’s heartbeat can be detected, which can occur as early as six weeks’ gestation.
Republican Senate President Tom Niehaus of New Richmond said in a statement Wednesday that the proposed revisions “only serve to create more uncertainty about a very contentious issue,” reports the Associated Press. Hearings had begun last week in the Senate on the bill, which had passed the House in June.
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Niehaus also indicated that hours of testimony have shown “a sharp disagreement within the pro-life community over the direction of this bill.” “I believe our members need additional time to weigh the arguments,” he said.
While pro-abortion activists celebrated the delay, Faith2Action President Janet Folger Porter said that she was confident Niehaus would keep his word to bring the measure back up for a vote before the end of the year.
“He suspended it today, but he’s president of the Senate and when you’re president of the Senate you can have a hearing tomorrow, you can have a hearing next week, you can call a session any time you want,” said Porter. “That’s the beauty of having the gavel.” Ohio Right to Life, which has not endorsed the heartbeat measure, commended Niehaus for encouraging unity among pro-life leaders.
The Senate meanwhile passed a separate measure allowing Ohio citizens to opt out of abortion coverage in the health insurance exchanges due for implementation under the federal health care law. The measure would make the state the 13th to do so.
Read the full AP report here.
Edited 12.19.2011