Gov. Kasich Signs Landmark Bill to Challenge Roe

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       CONTACT: Katherine Franklin
DATE: Tuesday, December 13, 2016     PHONE: 614-547-0099 ext. 304

COLUMBUS, Ohio--Today, Governor John Kasich signed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (Sub. S.B. 127), landmark legislation which poses a historic challenge to Roe v. Wade. Governor Kasich also vetoed Am. Sub. H.B. 493, commonly known as the Heartbeat Bill.

The following statement can be attributed to Mike Gonidakis, President of Ohio Right to Life:

On behalf of Ohio Right to Life and our statewide members, we sincerely thank Governor Kasich for his unwavering support for the unborn and our pro-life mission. By signing S.B. 127, the 20-week ban, Governor Kasich will save hundreds of unborn lives each year and he positioned the state of Ohio to directly challenge Roe v. Wade. The 20-week ban was nationally designed to be the vehicle to end abortion in America. It challenges the current national abortion standard and properly moves the legal needle from viability to the baby’s ability to feel pain. 

Given the current make-up of the United States Supreme Court, Governor Kasich got it right by embracing the strategic incremental approach to ending abortion. Pro-life Ohioans are proud to have his support as a super majority of Republicans and Democrats within the General Assembly voted to support the 20-week ban. At no time in our state’s history have we had such protective pro-life laws, and we have Gov. Kasich and our pro-life legislature to thank. 

Ohio Right to Life supports Governor Kasich’s decision to bypass the heartbeat legislative approach at this time. While it must have been difficult, the current make-up of a radically pro-abortion Supreme Court required the Governor to exercise great restraint. Further, filling the current vacancy on the Court by our next President will still leave the court with a pro-abortion majority. 

The current pro-abortion Supreme Court was given the opportunity on two occasions in 2016 to address heartbeat legislation and both times refused to hear the case allowing the lower court’s ruling to stand. Both of those states’ heartbeat laws have been ruled unconstitutional, never took effect and saved not one unborn life. Legal scholars believe that asking the Court to entertain a third heartbeat law at this time would cause irreparable harm to the pro-life movement. The highest court in America has spoken twice on heartbeat laws in 2016, and the court supported the pro-abortion position. 

Recently, the Governor on the Ohio House floor stated: “Political calculations ought to be left at the door.” Gov. Kasich put those words into action today by laying aside the heartbeat bill. By endorsing the 20-week ban in lieu of the heartbeat approach, Governor Kasich provided strong pro-life leadership to finally engage a winnable battle with the federal judiciary while saving countless babies at the same time.

Founded in 1967, Ohio Right to Life, with more than 45 chapters and local affiliates, is Ohio's oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement in Ohio, ORTL works through legislation and education to promote and defend innocent human life from conception to natural death.