A federal judge has temporarily blocked Ohio’s “heartbeat” bill banning abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy from going into effect.
Judge Michael Barret on Wednesday barred Senate Bill 23 while he considers the lawsuit brought against the measure by Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union.
The law, which bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected and was signed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in April, was scheduled to take effect next week.
Should the law have gone into force, “one could characterize the obstacle Ohio women will face as not merely ‘substantial,’ but, rather, ‘insurmountable,'” Barrett wrote.
Barrett also implied that he would rule against Ohio, writing that the law appeared to be unconstitutional.
“The Court concludes, based on current United States Supreme Court precedent, that Plaintiffs are certain to succeed on the merits of their claim that S.B. 23 is unconstitutional on its face,” he wrote.