(CNN) Newly minted Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday that he will "absolutely" sign a new version of the "heartbeat bill," which would ban abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected and had been vetoed by the previous governor, John Kasich.

"Yes, absolutely," DeWine said , when asked if he would sign the bill, in an appearance on Hugh Hewitt's radio program.

The bill would outlaw abortions as early as six weeks after conception. Kasich vetoed a similar piece of legislation -- House Bill 258, known as the "heartbeat bill" -- last month before he left office. Kasich is now a CNN contributor.

The legislation has sparked backlash from abortion rights advocates. NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, the state chapter of a national abortion-rights organization, called the bill "horrific" and "unconstitutional."

"Anti-abortion ideologues should not attempt to insert politics between a patient and their physician," NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland said in a statement

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