Ohio Lawmakers Pass New 'Heartbeat Bill' Banning Abortions

Ohio lawmakers passed a new abortion bill, called "the heartbeat bill" that would ban abortions as soon as the unborn baby's heartbeat can be detected. 

The ban will make an exception if the mother's life is in danger, but not for rape or incest. 

Republican lawmakers in the Ohio House voted to approve the bill Tuesday evening after it passed in the state Senate. 

The new bill is reported to be the most strict in the nation regarding abortions. 

Now it is up to Gov. John Kasich to approve the bill. He has not said whether he will sign it or not. 

He previously stated during his run for president on the campaign trail that he was pro-life, but he has voiced concerns over whether the law is constitutional.  

State Senate President Keith Faber, a Republican, believes the proposal has a good chance of winning a legal challenge. 

"I think it has a better chance than it did before," Faber said. 

NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio says the bill would refuse access to abortion before some women know they are pregnant. 

Under the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, creating a nationwide right to abortion, states were allowed to restrict abortions after determining that the fetus has a reasonable chance of surviving outside the uterus. 

The ruling did not offer a legal definition of viability, stating it could range between 24 and 28 weeks. But an unborn baby has a distinct, detectable heartbeat as early as 6 weeks.