Ohio legislators refuse to override Kasich's veto of 'heartbeat bill'

Pro-life advocates in Ohio were dismayed to learn that the state legislators have ended the session on Dec. 28 without overriding Gov. John Kasich veto of a bill that will prohibit abortions once the unborn baby's heartbeat is detected.

The House and Senate had scheduled "if needed" sessions for Dec. 28 and 29 in case they garnered enough support to override vetoes. However, the House sessions were canceled by House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger on Wednesday, Dayton Daily News reported.

Ohio ProLife Action president Linda Theis expressed her disappointment that some lawmakers "paid by taxpayers to work through December 31st chose to be out of town when they knew there was a good chance they would be called back in for the override."

Last month, Kasich vetoed the heartbeat bill while approving a ban on abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy or later. The governor cited concerns that the bill might be overturned if it is challenged in court, and some Republican lawmakers have feared that the state might be required to pay millions in legal fees.

Brad Mattes, president of Life Issues Institute, said that he was troubled by Kasich's reason for vetoing the measure.

"How can an elected official, who in his own words works 'to strengthen Ohio's protections for the sanctity of human life,' put a price tag on their lives?" Mattes said, according to Life Site News.

Mattes said that the heartbeat bill could potentially reverse Roe v. Wade if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his promise to appoint pro-life Supreme Court justices.

"We have good reason to believe that the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court and appellate courts are about to change. It's not unfathomable to think that in the time it would've taken to get the Heartbeat Bill before the Supreme Court we may have a pro-life majority," he wrote.

Ohio Right to Life had expressed its support for Kasich's decision. The group stated that the Supreme Court will still be left with a pro-abortion majority even if Trump fills the current vacancy.

Lawmakers in North Dakota have introduced a similar measure, but it was overturned by a federal appeals court in 2014.