COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--There's a challenge to Ohio's recently enacted "Heartbeat Bill", in the form of a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Ohio.
The Ohio legislature passed the new restrictions on abortions in April, and was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine. It bans abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected, which usually occurs six weeks into a pregnancy.
In a post from ACLU attorney Elizabeth Watson, she says "A ban on abortion starting at six weeks is a ban on almost all abortions. Before six weeks, most people do not even know that they are pregnant."
She also cites decades of legal precedent from the US Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision, which legalized abortions in the US.
Supporters of the state's heartbeat bill see it as a direct challenge to Roe vs. Wade.
The Ohio legislature had passed previous versions of the bill, that were vetoed by then-Governor John Kasich. He cited the costs of legal challenges in turning it down.
(photo courtesy ACLU of Ohio)