One of the first pieces of legislation signed by Mike DeWine in his first year as governor was an abortion ban.
At the time it was one of the strictest ones in the country, and is on hold in a court challenge. But it’s only part of an overall agenda he’s pushing. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports.
DeWine says he was always clear that he’d sign the six-week abortion ban known as the Heartbeat Bill.
“This was a bill that was certainly a bill that I wanted to sign. I'm proud I signed it.”
And though Ohio made headlines with a recent proposal to ban abortion with the death penalty as a possibility for doctors and women, DeWine says people shouldn’t view the state as extreme.
“I don't think people will, not if look at what we're doing. This is a pro-life administration. But I want to define pro-life.”
He says that includes focusing on prenatal care and lowering what he calls unacceptable infant and maternal death rates. DeWine hasn’t said if he’d sign the total abortion ban if it passes, saying instead that he wants to wait till abortion laws now in the courts work their way through.
