Republican Governor John Kasich signed into law a 20-week abortion ban on Tuesday but vetoed stricter legislation that would have banned abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, as early as six weeks after conception.
Kasich, an abortion opponent, said in a statement that the proposed six-week legislation runs contrary to U.S. Supreme Court rulings on abortion and that the veto was "in the public interest."
"I agree with Ohio Right to Life and other leading, pro-life advocates that SB 127 is the best, most legally sound and sustainable approach to protecting the sanctity of human life," Kasich said in a statement on the 20-week law, passed by lawmakers last week.
Twenty-week abortion bans have been passed in more than 10 states, but federal courts in Arizona and Idaho have ruled them unconstitutional. Under current law, Ohio prohibits abortion once a fetus is considered viable outside the womb, which is from 24 to 26 weeks of gestation.
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