Ohio May Ban Abortions After Six Weeks

Unlikely to survive court challenge

COLUMBUS — Ohio foes of abortion rights Thursday resurrected what could become one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation, arguing that other recent gains in their movement do not go far enough.

Federal judges in North Dakota and Arkansas either have struck down or placed on hold similar measures, but Reps. Christina Hagan (R., Alliance) and Lynn Wachtmann (R., Napoleon) are forging ahead by introducing a revised version of the so-called Heartbeat Bill to ban an abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. That could occur as early as six weeks after conception.