Ohio lawmakers have passed one of the most severe abortion restrictions in the country, a so-called “Heartbeat bill” that bans abortions from taking place after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. This can be as early as six weeks into the pregnancy, a point at which many people don’t even know that they are pregnant. And there are no exceptions for rape or incest.The bill now heads to the desk of Governor John Kasich, a former Republican presidential candidate who positioned himself as the moderate in a field of extremists. But Kasich is far from moderate on abortion, and it is very likely that he will sign this bill into law.You may be surprised, but you shouldn’t be.This is just the latest step in Ohio’s quiet progression towards a draconian landscape for abortion. In the past five years, it has been increasingly difficult to obtain a safe abortion in Ohio. While many of us have been focused on restrictive legislation sailing through traditionally red states like Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi, Ohio has been swiftly and stealthily restricting abortion to the point where it has become all but inaccessible for many.This kind of legislation isn’t just a restriction on safe abortion; it’s essentially a ban. There is a tiny window of time to even find out you’re pregnant in order to have an abortion by the six-week mark, and you may need some time to make your decision after you find out that you’re pregnant. Add to that Ohio’s 24-hour mandatory waiting period and the evaporation of clinics in even urban areas, like the city of Dayton , and it takes even more time. If you’re a minor, you must obtain parental consent, which, if you’re estranged from your parents, could take even longer. At this point, you have almost certainly passed the six-week deadline. Not to mention that people with irregular periods or who experience implantation bleeding may have no idea they’re pregnant until far after the heartbeat has begun. You are forced to carry your pregnancy to term, regardless of your choice, circumstances, health, or situation, including rape.Of course, Ohio isn’t the first state to pass a six-week abortion ban. That dubious title belongs to North Dakota, which enacted a six-week abortion ban in 2013. That bill was later struck down by a federal appeals court in 2015.To be clear, that is likely the fate of Ohio’s bill. If this is signed into law, it will almost immediately be challenged, as it is unconstitutional to ban abortion before the point of fetal viability, which is typically considered to be 24-28 weeks. It would then wind its way through the federal court system and potentially land on the docket of the Supreme Court. According to abortion rights supporters, that is the point.