Ohio Senate passes bill that bans abortions if patient received diagnosis of Down syndrome

The focus on disability is a strategic and shrewd move on the part of abortion opponents.

the Ohio Senate passed a bill banning abortions for patients who received a diagnosis of Down syndrome. Under the bill, a physician who performs an abortion in this situation could held liable for damages, stripped of their medical license, and charged with a fourth-degree felony, according to the Associated Press.

Earlier in the month, the House passed its version of the legislation, which means the ban will go to the desk of Gov. John Kasich (R) soon. Gov. Kasich has supported severe abortion restrictions, including a 20-week abortion ban.

It’s already hard to get an abortion in Ohio, as the state has eight other abortion restrictions. That includes a requirement for patients to receive state-directed counseling that provides information discouraging the person from an abortion, a 24-hour wait until a procedure is provided, parental consent before minors can receive abortions, mandatory testing for a fetal heartbeat before obtaining an abortion, and a 20-week abortion ban, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Ohio Right to Life has lobbied state legislators for more than two years to pass restrictions on abortion after a diagnosis that the fetus has Down syndrome.

This type of legislation, while uncommon, is beginning to spread, said Elizabeth Nash, senior state issues manager at the Guttmacher Institute. Nebraska was the first state to enact a bill …

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