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Opponents and proponents of the so-called Heartbeat Bill — which would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected — are lobbying Ohio Gov. John Kasich to favor their side in acting on the legislation. Groups that favor the legislation passed last week by majority Republicans in the General Assembly are asking Kasich to sign the bill into law, while others are asking him to veto the measure, according to communiques with the governor's office requested by The Dispatch. (Ludlow, 12/13)

Ohio abortion rights supporters and opponents have flooded Gov. John Kasich's office with emails, phone calls and protests in the days since state lawmakers passed two anti-abortion bills. One bill, called the "heartbeat bill," bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks into a woman's pregnancy, possibly before she knows she is pregnant. The other bill bans abortions after 20 weeks post-fertilization, or about 22 weeks gestation instead of the current 24 weeks gestation. (Borchardt, 12/12)

In passing the so-called “heartbeat bill” – the country’s most-restrictive abortion legislation – Ohio Republicans are sending John Kasich a test. The Ohio governor based his unsuccessful 2016 Republican presidential campaign on principle over party, rejecting extremism and, more than that, rejecting the policies and rhetoric of Donald Trump. (Thompson and Balmert, 12/12)

Planned Parenthood officials are scrambling to prepare for the likelihood that Congress next year will cut off more than a half-billion dollars in federal funding to the group, fulfilling the wishes of abortion foes who are planning an aggressive push to roll back abortion rights under President-elect Donald Trump. (Somashekhar and Zezima, 12/12)

Several abortion providers sued Texas in federal court on Monday to halt a new regulation that requires them to dispose of aborted fetal tissue either through burial or cremation, saying the rule is designed to limit abortions in the state. (Herskovitz, 12/12)

Abortion providers filed a federal lawsuit Monday to block a Texas rule that will require fetal remains, whether from an abortion or miscarriage, to be buried or cremated. The lawsuit, filed one week before the regulation was to take effect, argued that the rule is a “pretext for restricting abortion access” that would do nothing to improve health or safety despite assertions from state officials to the contrary. (Lindell, 12/12)

Oklahoma plans to force hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants and public schools to post signs inside public restrooms directing pregnant women where to receive services as part of an effort to reduce abortions in the state. (12/13)