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Bill Would Ban Abortion In Ohio If Supreme Court Overturns Roe V. Wade

(AP) -- A state lawmaker has proposed legislation that would ban abortion in Ohio if the Supreme Court overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

The bill introduced this week would ban all abortions in the state except those to save a woman's life or prevent substantial and irreversible harm.

"If and when the Supreme Court decides to return the issue of abortion back to the states, we want to be prepared for what comes next," said sponsoring Rep. John Becker, a Republican from Clermont County in southwest Ohio.

Eight states have similar laws that would take effect after a U.S. Supreme Court decision while several other states have pre-existing bans that also would go into effect, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Becker's bill, backed by Ohio Right to Life, is similar to legislation introduced in November by state Rep. Candice Keller, a Middletown Republican. The earlier bill was championed by a separate coalition of local anti-abortion groups.

A separate proposal banning the use of telemedicine in medication abortions is scheduled for a floor vote in the Ohio Senate on Wednesday. Its sponsor is Sen. Steve Huffman, a Tipp City Republican and emergency room doctor.

(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)

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