Clarification appended.
The controversial “Heartbeat Bill” was sent to Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday after the Ohio Senate agreed to make final changes in an 18-3 vote, according to the Associated Press.
DeWine said he would sign the bill, according to a previous Post report.
Despite shouts of opposition that could be heard from inside of the chamber, the Republican-controlled Ohio House approved the bill earlier Wednesday in a 56-39 vote.
After weeks of deliberation and testimony, the latest version of Senate Bill 23 will ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat, which can be detected as early as five or six weeks into pregnancy, and will impose some of the most restrictive abortion measures in the country, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The bill also does not make exceptions in cases of rape or incest.
Ron Hood, a Republican who introduced the bill in the house, said he is counting on a lawsuit from opposition and that this could be the law that ultimately reverses the Roe v. Wade ruling from 1973.
Many Democratic representatives took a stance arguing that the next move will be to work diligently to prepare for the consequences that the bill will bring.
Rep. Erica Crawley (D-Columbus) said more than 83 percent of members in her district live in poverty and food security for women and children remains an issue.
“I can’t imagine not being protected by my fellow colleagues here and being forced to bring a child to term,” she said.
Clarification: This article’s headline has been updated to clarify the bill’s status.
