Ohio to Outlaw Abortion of Fetuses with Down Syndrome

Lawmakers in Ohio are set to vote on a bill that would outlaw abortions if the the motivation is to avoid having a baby that has Down Syndrome as states continue to try and limit access to abortion throughout the country.

The New York Times reports that the bill is likely to pass both the Ohio House and Senate because it has the backing of National Right to Life Committee and more than two-thirds of each chamber is made up of legislators who have the committee's endorsement.

It is unclear if Governor John Kasich, who is currently running for the Republican nomination for president in the 2016 election will support the law, but he has previously supported other restrictions on abortion such as forcing women to undergo ultrasounds before the procedure.

Anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of pregnancies where Down Syndrome is identified result in termination as many people believe they are unable to cope with the mental and monetary stresses of raising a child who could need care for their entire life as a result of mental and physical disabilities.

In addition to being intellectually disabled, individuals with Down Syndrome are more like to suffer from a number of physical ailments like congenital heart disease and leukemia.

Ohio would join South Dakota on the vanguard of laws banning abortion for genetic disorders, which include Down Syndrome, as South Dakota passed a law banning abortion for this reason in 2013.

If the Ohio law were passed, it is unclear how it would be enforced and both pro-life and pro-choice activists in South Dakota say that no one has been punished under the 2013 law.