Ohio At Center Of Shifting Pro-Life Movement

A nationwide coalition of anti-abortion groups is preparing to push legislation in all 50 states requiring that pregnant women see and hear the fetal heartbeat before having an abortion. Ohio Right to Life director Mike Gonidakis says the effort follows Republican presidential candidate and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann introducing similar legislation at the national level. The push comes as backers of an Ohio bill banning abortions once the fetal heartbeat can be detected moves through the state legislature. It would impose the most stringent abortion limit in the nation. Its backers planned to announce creation of their own statewide anti-abortion organization on Wednesday to rival Ohio Right to Life. That group has withheld support for the so-called Heartbeat Bill on grounds it's unconstitutional.