So the Heartbeat ban override in Ohio failed. That’s good - for basically one hot moment. But something even worse happened. Let me explain why.
The House overrode, but the Senate was one vote shy. That also means there is *more* than enough people supporting it to pass it easily next year. And next year they don't need an override because gov elect Dewine already promised to sign it.
This basically delayed things for a few months, but it will be back. It always comes back.
So why has it come back again and again yet never quite made it over the finish line? Primarily, it's been the work of Ohio Right to Life. They've always opposed the bill. Until today.
The heartbeat ban was the bill that actually broke up the Ohio anti-abortion community. Jack Willke, essentially father of the anti-abortion movement, did his work out of Ohio. He ran National Right to Life for a while, etc. And RTL was always considered a "mainstream" movement
I know, I know I know, but let me go on :)
But he moved away from RTL and teamed up with Janet Porter as she formed Faith2Action and pushed hard on the heartbeat ban ever since its early Ohio days. It was a pretty big friction in the movement.
RTL, including Ohio Right to Life, was always methodically particular about minuscule movement of goalposts through legislation. Tiny changes that barely chipped away at the edges of constitutionality without putting the whole shebang at risk by accidentally affirming Roe
And they are very adamant about only having branded partners that do as they say word for word. That's why Cincinnati Right for Life, which pushes personhood, isn't an "official" member anymore, even though they continue to use the name.
So Ohio Right to Life has been the land of "20 week bans" and now D&E bans, basically only endorsing the same bills that national puts on their plate as the latest official national priority legislation. Nothing else. No risk. Absolutely not.
"Incrementalism" is the official National Right to Life slogan, and NOTHING happens in in local branches without the stamp from national. Incrementalism. But today ORTL officially endorsed a state heartbeat ban and threw its support behind it.
"As we look forward, Ohio Right to Life believes that it is now time to embrace the heartbeat bill as the next incremental approach to end abortion in Ohio. " 
This isn't Ohio. This is National telling Ohio they are allowed to back it now. Which means that the national anti-abortion movement believes they now have the judiciary in place that would agree with them that a heartbeat ban is actually a constitutional abortion restriction.
or even worse that it isn't constitutional but that judges can ignore that by saying other rights supersede it.
So anyway, when you read the news coverage of the veto override, remember these three things that probably aren't being mentioned. 1) This bill will be back and passed in early 2019 so we basically "won" 3 months.
2) The D&E ban passed already and was signed by Kasich and has a very strong possibility of going into effect and limiting the state to first trimester limits already.
3) The "mainstream" anti-abortion movement strategy folk just announced that they already think that a "heartbeat ban" is now officially a viable abortion restriction that will be upheld by the Supreme Court and are prepared to tell all of their state affiliates to go ahead
So, Happy New Year, I guess? Enjoy it while you can. And don't forget, my book comes out in two and a half weeks. You might be needing a copy sooner than you thought...
oh, if you have questions, hit me here on this tweet. I appear to be having a weirdness with my replies right now so I can't seem to see them the normal way....
I need to add, this is ALL about the out of proportion power of the right, which has gerrymandered &bench-stacked their way here. THE ACTIVISTS ARE AMAZING and pulled off a win that absolutely no one thought possible & deserve all our gratitude (& $$) act1.myngp.com/Forms/-3600064…
