You there, the tomato with the sexy gams.
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Lawmakers in Ohio have passed a bill that would ban abortions upon the detection of a fetal heartbeat, which usually occurs about six weeks into a pregnancy. The measure was tacked onto an unrelated bill regarding the reporting of child abuse.

Senate President Keith Faber pointed directly to Donald Trump and his anti-choice comments as the impetus for the bill, confirming fears that many women have had since the election last month that their access to abortion, family planning, and healthcare services would diminish under the new administration.

Faber told CNN:

So what made the legislature's Republican majority move now?

"One, a new President, new Supreme Court justice appointees change the dynamic, and that there was a consensus in our caucus to move forward," Ohio Senate President Keith Faber, a Republican from Celina, told reporters after the final vote.

Asked if he thought the bill would survive a legal challenge, he said: "I think it has a better chance than it did before."

Ohio Governor John Kasich, who has signed about numerous anti-abortion measures into law during his time in office, has 10 days to sign or veto this bill. If he does nothing, this so-called "Heartbeat Bill", the harshest abortion restriction in the nation, will become law.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, several states have a ban after 20 weeks, but most make exceptions in cases of rape or incest—a mercy the Ohio bill does not allow for.


The American Civil Liberties Union calls the measure unconstitutional and says they will fight the "Heartbeat Bill" in court if it becomes law. (This is a good time to remind you to donate to the ACLU. Become a member. Buy a sweatshirt. Hand stickers out to everyone you meet.)