COLUMBUS — A poll released Thursday found that Ohioans are divided over the “heartbeat” bill, want hydro-fracking put on hold until its impact is studied and favor a ban on private ownership of exotic animals.

The Quinnipiac University poll also found that Ohio voters favor incumbent U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown over his likely Republican challenger Josh Mandel, and they give Gov. John Kasich a negative job approval rating and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman a positive one.

Ohio voters are divided 45-46 percent in their support for the “heartbeat” bill pending in the Ohio Senate that would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, the poll found.

If it passes, it would likely face court challenges. Half of Ohio voters say abortion should be legal while 44 percent say it should be illegal in all or most cases.

“Abortion remains perhaps the most divisive issue in the nation and there is an almost even split among Ohio voters over the fetal heartbeat bill,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

The Quinnipiac University poll also found that 64 percent of voters believe the economic benefits of drilling for natural gas outweigh environmental concerns, 85 percent say drilling will create jobs, but 72 percent say hydro-fracking should be halted until its impact is studied further.

“Ohio votes are conflicted on hydro-fracking. They recognize the economic value of drilling for fossil fuels in the state, but are worried about potential environmental risks of the specific technique — hydro-fracking,” Brown added.

In hydro-fracking high pressure is used to pump water and chemicals into the ground and release the oil and natural gas from fractured rocks for collection.

Lawmakers are also considering a bill to ban private ownership of dangerous wild animals — something 68 percent of voters support while 28 percent oppose, the poll said.

In the U.S. Senate race, Brown holds a 47-32 percent lead over Mandel, who is the state treasurer. In October, the split was 49 percent for Brown and 34 percent for Mandel.

Both men enjoy strong support among their respective parties and Brown carries independent voters 44 - 27 percent. The poll found that 42 percent of voters view Brown favorably and 48 percent say he deserves another term. Meanwhile, 69 percent of voters haven’t heard enough about Mandel to form an opinion, the poll said.

The poll found that Portman, a Republican in his first term in the Senate, and on many shortlists as a possible vice presidential contender, has a 39-25 percent job approval rating while Kasich has a 39-48 percent approval rating. Kasich had a negative score of 38-50 percent in October. The poll, conducted Jan. 9-16, contacted 1,610 registered voters on landlines and cell phones. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percent.