COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 15, 2019 — On April 10, 2019, the Ohio legislature passed that state's own heartbeat bill known as Senate Bill 23, in order to prohibit abortion after a heartbeat is detectable, or as soon as six weeks of gestation. The following day, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed the bill into law, making Ohio one of the most pro-life states in the nation. Versions of the bill had previously passed on two other occasions but were vetoed by then Gov. John Kasich.
On behalf of the James Dobson Family Institute (JDFI), Dr. James Dobson issues the following statement:
"We are profoundly grateful to the courageous, pro-life men and women of Ohio's legislature, along with Gov. DeWine, for finally making good on the will of the people of Ohio by passing and now signing into law Senate Bill 23. We thank God that this time many thousands of innocent lives will be saved.
"I also want to commend the bill's co-author, Janet Porter, for her tireless efforts to see this vision through to completion, despite multiple setbacks along the way. Both she and her organization, Faith2Action, along with the state's legislators and its new governor, are to be congratulated for this stunning victory. Join us in praying that this bill will not only survive any and all legal challenges, but that other states around the nation would follow Ohio's lead in protecting and defending those who cannot defend themselves. May God bless the people of Ohio for honoring and defending nascent human life."