In Oklahoma, fertilized-egg-as-person advocates pushed their GOP representatives too far in trying to force a bill up for a vote, and received a lashing from their own legislators.  Now, “heartbeat” ban activists in Ohio are getting an earful from the Republican senate president they have been trying to strong-arm into holding a vote.

Senate President Tom Niehaus sent a strongly worded letter regarding the anti-choice activists pushing for a ban that would make it illegal to abort an embryo after a detectable heartbeat could be found — as early as four weeks post conception. His message?  Just back off already.

[T]he leaders of an organization called Faith2Action have made exaggerated and inflammatory statements about the status of Substitute House Bill 125 without offering a full explanation of the debate that has emerged within the pro-­‐life community. Their claim that we “lose more than a school bus full of children everyday” due to a lack of Senate action on the bill is simply false, and I will not continue to allow the organization to question the commitment of my colleagues to ending the scourge of abortion. Ohio Senate Republicans have done more in the past 16 months to advance the protection of unborn children than any previous General Assembly in our state’s history.

Faith2Action recently paid for a series of advertisements and automated phone calls featuring Dr. Jack Willke, a longtime leader in the Right to Life movement. I have known Dr. Willke for many years. He was my pediatrician. While I greatly respect the work he has done to advance the pro-­‐life cause, I believe it is important to note that respected legal experts strongly disagree with him on this particular piece of legislation.

With references to multiple legal opinions on how the law would never go into effect, could reinforce Roe V. Wade, and how Mississippi also chose not to vote on a similar measure, the fate of the heartbeat ban may have been officially decided in Ohio.