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The controversial anti-abortion Heartbeat Bill is likely to move out of committee Friday morning and to a full House vote as soon as Friday afternoon.

(Courtesy of the Ohio Statehouse Photo Archive)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Last minute changes to a legislative panel reviewing the "heartbeat bill" could give the controversial anti-abortion measure the votes it needs to move to a full House vote.

Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, a Napoleon Republican who chairs the House Health and Aging Committee, said three Republicans and one Democrat have been changed on the committee to ensure the panel has enough members present and votes to give the bill initial approval.

"My goal would be to have the hearing and vote the heartbeat bill out of committee today," Wachtmann said in an interview.

The controversial bill would prohibit abortion once a fetal heartbeat has been detected, as early as six weeks into a woman's pregnancy when many women don't even know they're pregnant. Anti-abortion advocates are divided on the bill, which some say would trigger court challenges certain to fail.

Wachtmann said Republican Reps. Jay Hottinger of Newark, Barbara Sears of Monclova Township and Tim Brown of Bowling Green were replaced by Reps. Margaret Conditt of Liberty Township, Kristina Roegner of Hudson and Margaret Ann Ruhl of Mount Vernon. Democratic Rep. Heather Bishoff of Blacklick was replaced by Columbus-area Rep. Mike Curtin.

The three new Republican members voted in favor of a previous version of the bill in 2011.

The committee meets at 8:30 a.m. Thursday to hear limited testimony in favor and against the bill. Wachtmann said he and the ranking Democrat on the panel, Rep. Nickie Antonio of Lakewood, heard days and weeks of testimony on the bill in 2011 and preferred not to hear days and weeks more.

"It's a pretty clear issue whether you're for it or against it," Wachtmann said.

Wachtmann said House Republicans might not have enough members present Thursday afternoon for a successful floor vote, which would push back the vote until after Thanksgiving. If the bill passes the House again, it faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

House Bill 248 has not had any hearings since it was introduced in August 2013. A previous version of the bill passed the House during the last two-year session but failed to pass the Senate. Then-Senate President Tom Niehaus, a New Richmond Republican, prevented the bill from receiving a floor vote.

Current Senate President Keith Faber, a Celina Republican, told reporters Wednesday he didn't think there was enough support in his chamber to pass the bill.

"I have grave concerns that if the heartbeat bill were to be passed, that it would jeopardize some of the other good, pro-life work that we've done in the General Assembly," Faber said.