Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Friday signed a law banning abortions if prenatal tests show the fetus has or could have Down syndrome, Cleveland.com reports.
Once the law takes effect in March, doctors who perform an abortion knowing of a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis could face a fourth-degree felony charge with a potential sentence of 18 months in prison. Women who seek an abortion would not face punishment.
Anti-abortion group Ohio Right to Life, which lobbied for the bill, praised "pro-life champion" Kasich for his signature.
"Ohio is and will continue to be a state that sees the lives of people with Down syndrome as lives worth living, thanks to this legislation," the organization’s president, Mike Gonidakis, said in a statement.
"When a woman receives a diagnosis of Down syndrome during her pregnancy, the last thing she needs is Gov. Kasich barging in to tell her what's best for her family," NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland said in a statement, according to Cincinnati.com. "This law does nothing to support families taking care of loved ones with Down syndrome. Instead, it exploits them as part of a larger anti-choice strategy to systematically make all abortion care illegal."
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