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ACLU To File Lawsuit Against State Over New Abortion Ban Soon

Elvira Koneva, Shutterstock.com

Ohio’s newest law that bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected is supposed to go into effect in three months. But there’s a very good chance it won’t because there’s a legal challenge looming.

The ACLU of Ohio’s Legal Director, Freda Levenson, says the new ban criminalizes almost all abortions in the state. 

“This is a very clear violation of women’s constitutional rights that have been established for close to fifty years under Roe vs Wade which became the law of the land in 1973. Women have a categorical right to abortions up until fetal viability," Levenson says.

Levenson says her group will file a legal challenge and ask for an immediate order to stop the law from taking effect. She says courts have struck down similar laws in other states and she expects the same with this one. Gov. Mike DeWine and other backers of this law say they expected this, and hope it will eventually be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court with the chance of overturning Roe vs. Wade.

Copyright 2019 The Statehouse News Bureau

Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.