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The "heartbeat bill" failed to garner a majority of votes to pass the Ohio House, putting to rest the anti-abortion measure for another legislative session.

(Associated Press file)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A bill that would have made Ohio's abortion ban one of the strictest in the nation failed to pass the Republican-controlled Ohio House on Wednesday.

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House Bill 248, known as the "heartbeat bill" would have prohibited abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected -- as early as six weeks into a woman's pregnancy. The bill made an exception if the life of the pregnant woman is in danger but not for victims of rape or incest.

The bill failed to get a majority of votes in the 98-member House with a final vote of 47-40. Eleven Republicans joined Democrats voting against the bill and 11 lawmakers did not vote.

Had the bill passed, it would have likely never made it to a Senate vote.

The legislation divided anti-abortion advocates, with many opposing the legislation because of fears it would trigger years of court battles over its constitutionality. Similar laws passed in Arkansas and North Dakota are on hold pending court challenges.

The House passed similar legislation in 2011, but the bill died in the Senate after then-President Tom Niehaus, a New Richmond Republican, kept the bill from reaching a floor vote.

Republican Reps. Christina Hagan of Alliance and Lynn Wachtmann of Napoleon sponsored this session's version, which attracted 38 co-sponsors, all Republicans.

Hagan said past wins for anti-abortion advocates shouldn't prevent lawmakers from pressing forward with the heartbeat bill.

"We've come a long way in creating jobs in the state of Ohio, we're certainly going to do that," Hagan said on the House floor. "We've come a long way in protecting the unborn, we should always continue to do that. It should remain central to our mission and our focus."

Rep. John Patrick Carney, a Columbus Democrat, said the bill has been opposed by obstetricians and gynecologists who he said don't need medical advice from lawmakers.

"This is a bill that's full of emotion," Carney said. "When we pull the emotion away and we look to the experts, those experts are telling us vote no on this bill -- it's not supported by good science, it's not supported by good medicine, it's only supported by emotion."

The bill cleared the House Health and Aging Committee in November after one hearing. The bill again lacked support in the Senate and Gov. John Kasich said he had concerns about the bill.

Twenty-four hours before Wednesday's vote, Republican Rep. Matt Lynch tried to add the language to a bill aiming to curb infant mortality. Lynch's amendment was blocked by GOP leaders.

Kellie Copeland, executive director of abortion-rights group NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, said she was elated the bill failed but said the debate has had "a chilling effect" on Ohio women and their physicians.

"Sadly, we know that defeat of this legislation is not the end of the threat to women's health," Copeland said in a statement. "Anti-choice forces already have more restrictions on access to reproductive health care ready for introduction when the legislature returns in January."