Ohio Governor signs Down Syndrome Abortion Ban!

Ohio Governor John Kasich, a runner-up in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, signed a bill on October 22, 2017 that bans abortions procured because tests show that the unborn child has Down Syndrome. 

The legislation, which goes into effect in 90 days, makes it a crime for a doctor to end a pregnancy based on knowledge of Down syndrome.  It makes performing an abortion in such cases a fourth-degree felony, which is punishable by up to 18 months in prison and requires the state medical board to revoke a convicted doctor's license. Pregnant women involved in such abortions won't be prosecuted.

The Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act will certainly be challenged in court.  Both Indiana and North Dakota have passed similar measures, and Indiana's law has been blocked by a federal judge.