How Republicans pass abortion bans most Americans don’t want

Legalized abortion in some form is widely supported, but gerrymandered districts allow politicians to push extreme measures through

On 10 April 2019, the Ohio legislature easily passed SB 23, a bill that banned abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.

It was a move that should have carried considerable political risk in Ohio, a state closely divided between Democrats and Republicans. There wasn't widespread support for the bill - polling showed public opinion was nearly evenly split over the bill (a poll after the bill was passed showed a majority opposed it), John Kasich, a previous Republican governor, had twice vetoed the bill, saying it was unconstitutional, and it had stalled in the legislature for years.