" For decades, established anti-abortion leaders like National Right to Life and Catholic bishops have pushed for gradually chipping away at the edges of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion, with state laws to impose limits on late-term abortions, to require women to view sonograms or to prohibit insurance coverage for the procedure.

" But now many activists and evangelical Christian groups are pressing for an all-out legal assault on Roe. v. Wade in the hope — others call it a reckless dream — that the Supreme Court is ready to consider a radical change in the ruling. "

" The proposed amendment would change the Ohio Constitution to define a person as including "every human being at every stage of biological development, including fertilization." "

" The chamber approved the “Heartbeat Bill” that would ban virtually all abortions in the state starting at the 22-day mark when an unborn child’s heart begins beating. The legislation has the support of some pro-life advocates but Ohio Right to Life and other pro-life groups oppose the bill because of various concerns about its ability to survive a court challenge. "

" Kansas joined an exclusive club when it became only the second state to ban late-term abortions because of fetal pain.

" But not for long. The Idaho governor signed a similar bill Thursday, and more like it are advancing in Oklahoma and a dozen other states. "

" An Ohio state legislative committee has approved the “Heartbeat Bill” that would ban virtually all abortions in the state starting at the 22-day mark when an unborn child’s heart begins beating. The legislation has the support of some pro-life advocates but neither Ohio Right to Life opposes the bill because of various concerns about its ability to survive a court challenge. "

" Janet Folger Porter, president of Faith2Action, a pro-life group, is one of the strong supporter of the legislation and was pleased the committee approved it while Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL, opposed the bill.

" The bill has divided the pro-life community in Ohio with Porter’s group supporting it along with Paula Westwood, Executive Director of Cincinnati Right to Life, Bobbi Radeck, state director of Concerned Women for America, and Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values, supporting the measure.

" But Marshal Pitchford, chairman of the Ohio Right to Life Society, says the legislation is problematic because it would not be upheld in court thanks to the 5-4 pro-abortion majority currently on the Supreme Court. If the bill is declared unconstitutional, Right to Life is concerned current pro-life laws that limit abortions and have saved lives would be overturned as well and result in an increase in the number of abortions.

" “Legal analysts state that the “heartbeat bill” could also be interpreted by pro-abortion federal judges and abortion advocates to repeal other Ohio pro-life laws, such as informed consent requirements,” he said. “We cannot risk those repeals and a decade’s worth of work so many honest pro-life advocates have pursued to make Ohio a safer place for mothers and babies.” "

" The bill passed with bipartisan support out of the committee, with lawmakers defeating attempts to include pro-abortion amendments along the way. Both sponsors and proponents of its companion bill, S.B. 72, also gave compelling testimony yesterday in the Senate Health Committee. "

" "For the past eight years, OCA has been working with members of the Ohio Legislature to ban embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, and in recent years, animal-human hybrid. Science has advanced to the point where DNA from animals and humans can be intermixed in scientific laboratory experimentation. These experimental practices simply are outrageous! Animal-human hybrid research is currently being conducted in England, which many in the international medical community now consider to be a rogue medical state. It is now known that some experimentation has taken place in some U.S. laboratories. Ohio Christian Alliance commends State Senator Kris Jordan from Ohio's 19th District for taking the leadership role in sponsoring this key legislation." "